𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭-𝐦𝐞-𝐧𝐨𝐭
☆ Genre: Domestic, fluff, angst
☆ Warnings: None
☆ Characters: Chris, Y/N, Noah, Sky
☆ Word Count:
☆ Synopsis: Chris and Y/N comfort Sky after she tells them she feels like she's falling behind
Chris's voice was warm like the sunshine that spilled through the large windows in his home, flooding the wide hall. One of his long arms was curled around three cellophane wrapped bundles, crinkling in his grip, and a large shopping bag was slung around a slender wrist. His other hand fumbled with the keys; a content grin painted his soft features as he called out again, his daughter's nearing giggles making him chuckle.
“Where are my babies, huh?”
“Daddy! Did you bring me my chocolate?”
Laughing as Sky collided into him with a sudden burst of energy, Chris nodded in response.He caressed the top of her head with gentle fingers and leaned down to press a soft kiss to her temple.
“Nice to see you too, Miss Bahng,” Chris hummed as a mischievous spark flickered in his eye.
The fifteen year old looked sheepish. “Sorry daddy. You know I'm always happy to see you.”
Chris started to grin. “Oh yeah? Because right now it kinda feels like you're only happy to see me because of the chocolate.”
Chris erupted into playful laughter upon hearing Sky's whine. “Only kidding. Here … I got you something else too.”
Sky cocked her head to the side as her father carefully removed one of the bundles from his arm. He held it out to her with crinkling eyes, and Sky's eyebrows darted up her forehead in surprise.
“Tulips,” Chris hummed. “For you. They're your favourite, right?”
Nodding as a soft smile curved across her pouty mouth, Sky blinked at the pink flowers with a tender gaze. “Mhm. They're pretty.”
“Hmm … like you, aye?” Chris chuckled as he brushed another kiss to her hair. “Where's your mama? Noey?”
“In the kitchen,” Sky said. Tilting her head up towards him, the fifteen year old wrapped her arms around her father's waist. She clung to him as much as she could whilst holding her bunch of flowers, and Chris's laughter was sweet when he acknowledged the awkwardness of the position as they trudged into the kitchen together.
Noah and Y/N were leaning against one of the kitchen counters, light chatter bubbling around them; the earthy scent of freshly brewed coffee immediately hit Chris with familiarity, and he grinned when they both turned around, two large mugs resting in the mother and son duo's hands.
“Ah … shoulda known,” Chris mused, walking over to them both. He kissed Noah's brow and playfully ruffled the unruliness of his curls, earning a placid smile from around the rim of his mug in return. Chris smiled, pressing his lips to his wife's forehead. “Here … got you both some flowers.”
“Flowers?” Noah cocked his head to the side.
“Mhm,” Chris slid both bunches into a hand each. “Irises for you … and roses for you.”
“And I got tulips!” Sky chimed in as she held her flowers aloft. She was still clinging to her father's side, and Chris smiled fondly, his free hand now caressing her head in slow sweeps.
“I love them,” Noah hummed, twirling his bunch of purple flowers around in his hands. “Thanks, dad.”
Chris winked at him. He swivelled his gaze to Y/N and burst into affectionate laughter; the woman's face was nowhere to be seen, her trellises of hair swimming over her shoulders as she dipped her head, inhaling deeply from the centre of her bouquet. An assortment of crimson roses, cheerful sunflowers, and silky petaled lilies, the scent that wafted from the flowers made Y/N's heart flutter. She exhaled with a wide smile lighting up her entire face when she raised her head again, and her eyes twinkled as she looked to her heart eyed husband.
“Smell good,” Y/N commented.
“Yeah?” Chris moved to her side and slipped an arm around her waist. “Like ‘em?”
Y/N nodded. She leaned into him and secured a tender kiss to the permanent smile on his face. “You always get me the most beautiful flowers … and I never see it coming.”
Chuckling, Chris squeezed his fingers a little tighter on her waist as he tugged her closer. “Only the most beautiful flowers for my most beautiful girl.”
“Ugh, dad … “ Sky's face crumpled in faint disgust. “Why do you have to be so cheesy all the time?”
“Mm … can't help it,” Chris shrugged, amusement crossing the rich molasses of his eyes. “Besides … it's fun seeing your reaction.”
Sky wrinkled her nose. “Gonna ignore it because you got me flowers. Why did you get flowers?”
“Why not?” Chris chuckled. “Nah there's a new flower shop that opened up a few blocks away … thought I might as well get something.”
“Buy out the whole shop, you mean?” Y/N grinned as she pulled out a large vase from one of her cupboards. “Noey, Ky … want me to put your flowers into vases too?”
As Noah and Sky nodded, Chris flushed. “Couldn't help it … they all looked so good.”
“I like these little tiny ones,” Sky pointed to a cluster of small flowers nestled in-between her tulips. “I can't remember what they're called.”
“They're called Forget-me-nots,” Y/N started to laugh. “Everyone really does seem to forget their name … “
Giggling, Sky placed her flowers into Y/N's outstretched hand; she watched as her mother snipped off the ends of the flower stems before sinking them into a small vase filled with water. She couldn't help but notice how a few of the flowers were still in bud form, elongated and green, a gentle contrast to the rest of the colours.
“These ones are still asleep,” Sky commented, pointing to them.
Chris chuckled. “Maybe they'll wake up tomorrow?”
Sky frowned. “They need to wake up today.”
“You're so impatient,” Noah snorted. “Maybe they're hiding from you.”
Sticking her tongue out at her brother, Sky peered into his bunch of flowers. “Why do yours look like an abyss?”
“An abyss? I kinda think they look like the night sky,” Noah said. He pointed to the light spray of Baby's-breath flowers hiding between the clusters of deep purple irises and orchids. “These are the stars.”
“Oh, you're right!” Chris suddenly said, looking over his shoulder. “I didn't notice that.”
“You didn't notice it because it doesn't look like a night sky,” Sky rolled her eyes. “Noey is hallucinating.”
“You're one to talk … yours look like a toad’s den,” Noah replied placidly.
Sky started to giggle. “Do you think I could lure some toads with them?”
“Oh God, please no … “ Chris clapped a hand over his face. “The flowers are for you, baby. Not the toads. They've got plenty outside.”
“But they don't have these ones,” Sky protested. “What if I make them a tulip hat?”
From the sink, Y/N started to laugh.
When Sky came home from school the next day, she headed straight to the large countertop that hosted the three vases of flowers. Her mother’s was in the middle, hers and her brothers’ on either side; the girl's brows furrowed when she saw that the same buds from yesterday still hadn't opened up. Sinking down onto a stool behind the counter, the girl sighed, resting her chin on her folded arms.
“Hey baby,” her mother's voice was sweet as she dropped a kiss to the top of her head. “How was school?”
“Abysmal,” Sky grumbled with a sigh, staring at the flowers.
“Abysmal, huh?” Y/N mused. She pulled over a large glass stand from another counter and placed it next to Sky with a smile. “Will a raspberry muffin cheer you up?”
Sky's face lit up. “Maybe,” she said as she reached for one of the large muffins on the stand.
“Just maybe?” the older woman laughed. “Well … how about a cup of tea?”
“Did someone say tea?” Chris appeared in front of them both, his eyes sparkling.
Y/N rolled her eyes playfully. “No … you must be hearing things, Bahng.”
She winked at Sky who started to giggle just as Chris pulled a gormless face. He sank into the seat beside his daughter and squished her cheeks with a single hand. “How was school, baby?”
“Abysmal,” Sky repeated her answer.
“Abysmal?” Chris echoed with a raised eyebrow. He tilted his head to the pile of muffins. “Maybe you should have a muffin.”
“That's what mama said,” Sky giggled as Y/N flicked the switch of the kettle.
“Did she now?” Chris grinned. “Stealing my ideas.”
“I'll have you know, Bahng, that I said it before you did,” Y/N's tone was full of humour as she dropped three teabags into three different mugs. “So I can't have possibly stolen your idea.”
Chris pouted until he resembled that of a dopey looking duck. “Touchè. Can I have a muffin?”
“You know you don't have to ask.”
Chris chuckled as he reached for one of the muffins. They were fluffy and splotched with bursts of scarlet from the raspberries, creamy white chocolate poking out from the golden top. Chris and Sky wolfed down two of them each before Y/N turned around with the mugs of tea, and Chris was reaching for two more, placing one in front of Sky as he inclined his head towards her.
“So … why was your day so abysmal, kiddo?” Chris hummed. “Tell your old dad all about it.”
Giggling under her breath at her father's words, Sky couldn't help it when she let out a little sigh. She sank further down her stool, slumping comically just as Y/N slid into the seat beside her husband.
“It's stupid,” Sky said, prodding the top of her muffin. “I just … feel like I'm losing out on stuff, you know?”
“What do you mean, baby?” Y/N asked. She tutted when Chris reached for her mug of tea instead of his own, taking a large sip out of it with a cheeky grin on his face.
Sky shrugged. “Everyone at school all seem to know exactly what they want to do in life … they've all got these massive plans and they're always off doing crazy stuff every weekend. I feel dumb in comparison. Like I'm average at all my subjects, and even the things I like I'm not exceptional at … it just feels like I'm kinda floating? Everyone's already achieving so much and I'm just … here. Falling behind.”
Chris hadn't expected his eyes to prickle at his daughter's forlorn words; but they did all the same, and the man reached out to gently cup her chin in his hand.
“Hey. You are not falling behind, you hear me?” Chris said firmly. His thumb was gentle as it caressed her jaw, Sky's eyes wide as she looked up at her father. “You're moving at your own pace - it doesn't matter what the people around you are doing, yeah? It's not a competition, baby girl.”
Sky's words were muffled through the soft hold Chris's hand had on her face. “But … what if I'm always like this? I wanna do what they're doing too … I hate being stuck like this.”
Eyes softening, Chris let go of her slowly and patted his lap instead. “Come here. Come sit on my lap, kiddo.”
“But dad … I'm not a baby,” Sky giggled as she made to get up anyway. She let Chris pull her down onto his lap, her legs swinging over the side of his thighs, her mother's lips twitching with an affectionate smile as she faced her.
“Mmm … maybe not, but you'll always be our baby,” Chris hummed, slipping his arms around her torso and squeezing her tight. He kissed her cheek tenderly and smoothed his hand over her hair before taking up one of the mugs of tea again.
Of course, it wasn't his mug. It was his wife's, and the woman sighed, a bubble of laughter escaping her as she reached around for his mug of tea instead.
“Tea thief,” Y/N grumbled.
Chris's face was one of pure mischief. “I told you … it tastes sweeter from your mug.”
“Idiot,” Y/N rolled her eyes. It made Sky giggle, and she dropped her head against her father's shoulder, the familiarity of his warmth immediately lifting her spirits.
Smiling down at her, Chris set the mug back down and hugged her tighter. “What's wrong, Ky-Ky?”
Sky shook her head against his broad shoulder. “I don't want to let you both down,” she said in a soft whisper.
“You'd never let us down, baby,” Y/N said gently, one of her hands going to rest on Sky's knee. “We're always going to be proud of you, no matter what.”
Eyes tearing up, Sky turned her face away from them both. “Even though I'm really behind?”
Sharing a sympathetic glance with her husband, Y/N shuffled her stool closer to them both. Her fingers were feather-light as she carefully brushed Sky's windswept hair away from the side of her face, tucking it behind her ear.
“See those flowers?” Y/N asked her, nodding towards the bunch of tulips in front of them both.
Sky lifted her head, her gaze following her mother's. She nodded, sniffling slightly.
“You noticed how some of them were still closed yesterday, right?” Y/N's traced her fingers over one of the tulip buds. “They're still closed today. Even though some are from the same stem, the same seed, some are open, and some are not.”
Sky's brows furrowed, the girl deep in thought as her mother's soft voice washed over her.
“If someone was to try and open these closed buds too early just because the rest of them have bloomed, they'd just wither up and die,” Y/N continued. “Because it isn't their time yet. Even though the other flowers have bloomed, it doesn't mean it's the right time for these ones.”
At that, Chris smiled. His hand was gently weaving its way down the back of Sky's head, the girl still cuddled up to him as a tiny burst of clarity and realisation began to grow in her pupils.
“Are you calling me a tulip?” Sky suddenly asked.
It made her parents laugh. Chris grinned, tilting his head back to look her in the eye again.
“I mean … I did tell you yesterday you're pretty like the tulips,” he chuckled.
Sky wrinkled her nose. “That's just because you're sappy.”
“Sappy or not, your father is right,” Y/N smiled. “You are very pretty, Ky. Just like the tulips. And, just like the tulips, you'll bloom when the time is right. Forcing it and trying to push yourself too much is only going to end up hurting you … you're not always going to be stuck here, hmm? Just enjoy this phase of your life … it's all a part of growth.”
At that, Sky smiled widely. She was quiet for a moment as she mulled over her mother's words. “What if nothing actually works out and I end up cosplaying as a frog?”
The mirth to her words made Y/N and Chris laugh.
“Baby, all we want is for you to be happy,” Chris murmured, reaching for his wife's tea again. “It doesn't matter what you end up doing … as long as you're happy, then that's all that matters.”
“Even if I become a frog?”
“What is it with you and frogs?” Chris asked, mildly perplexed.
“They're funny,” Sky giggled. “So are toads … ribbit ribbit … ribbit … “
“Alright, alright,” Chris laughed, squishing her cheeks. “Looks like the toads did end up finding the tulips after all … “
Giggling, Sky wrapped her arms around her father's shoulders and pressed a fat kiss to his cheek. “Thanks daddy. Thanks mama.”
“You don't have to thank us, baby,” Y/N grinned, leaning over to kiss Sky's temple. “We're your parents … we're always gonna be here for you, frog or not.”
Erupting into another fit of giggles, Sky's eyes suddenly flickered playfully; Y/N braced herself, grimacing already before Sky threw herself into her mother's arms, the sound of her father's laughter ringing around them as Y/N squealed at the sudden attack.
