#dad!shiu

[littlemissstel]

Troublemaker- Shiu Kong

What is Shiu to do when he gets a call from his daughter asking to be picked up? But he thought she was at home...

dividers by @saradika-graphics

You and Shiu loved your kids. You did. However you had never known any others to be quite as monstrous as they were. Everyone said that they would eventually grow out of their mischievous ways, however after your eldest entered her teen years the untamable spirit she retained only grew and you came to believe they were just your karma personified. Your first was sneaky, the second was loud and hyperactive - causing a mess wherever he went- and your third...well you were lucky if she even gave you the time of day, rolling her eyes, she tended to use her face to express more than she did her words and was ever so cunning.

You tried to keep up but the weekends offered no respite as the chaos you normally got to hide from six hours a day continued at an unrelenting pace and left you as nothing but a mindless ghoul at the end of it as you collapsed into your bed.

Shiu would normally be right behind you in doing this, but tonight he managed to exert the last of his energy into tidying the remaining miscellaneous items that littered the dinning table before settling limply on the sofa, eyes closed and head tossed back. The idea was to secretly finish the remaining episode of a series you both binged, however the low rumble of your sons gaming console acted as white noise that tempted him into a deep sleep, the darkness becoming a blanket over him as he sunk further and further into the cloud cushions.

All was well. All was calm.

Was. The sound of his phone ringing pierced through the once so soothing atmosphere and he sprung up, reaching for his phone with such urgency he worried about throwing his back out. He waited a second, eyes adjusting to the brightness before recognising the name on the screen. His eldest daughter. Now was the time to sigh. The most she could want was a glass of water and a pack of sweets and he inwardly teased himself for acting so exaggerated.

"Hi, honey" he says though he was not welcomed with the same greeting. Instead a cacophony of unintelligible sounds blurred in his ear, forcing him to move back in both pain and confusion.

Well that certainly wasn't coming from here. The house was silent, the sound of a pin dropping could count as a disturbance, so what on earth was going on?

"Honey? Are you there?"

"Yeah" her uncharacteristically small voice calls out, and he can't help but notice the way it shakes. Sitting up and leaning forward, elbows on knees he gives her his full attention, acting as if she were sat in front of him.

"What's going on? You're not home are you?"

"No--and I'm so sorry", She breaks fully, "Can you please pick me up? I swear it's not that far a-"

"Send me your location. Are you hurt?"

"No..."

"Okay."

And the line continues without another word spoken. Though Shiu's mind was far from peaceful. The moment she had sent where she was he stepped on the peddle driving an inexcusable amount over the speed limit which was prompted by his sweet girls muffled cries.

The address seemed to be a house, at least she was in a residential area but what was she doing there? Who had she gone to see? Most importantly how did he not notice? A detective all those years and yet he couldn't figure out when his own daughter was in trouble. No, he couldn't figure out why she snuck out. He had tried his very best to give his children the freedom they deserved and he'd much rather know about their mistakes than have them make it alone. It's not like he ever denied them of going out and having fun without rational reasoning and they knew that- so why was he driving to an unknown location at 2 am to pick up his weeping daughter?

Unlike his previous experiences, the adrenaline spike he felt was anything but pleasant and his blood rushed with anxiety. Eventually he neared the location looking around hastily for any sign of his daughter.

"Where are you? Can you see me?"

And suddenly a figure emerged out of the dark from one of the porches, alerting a sensory light to come on where he saw his daughter in a state he would wish to erase. Stepping out of the car meeting her will-less body halfway he engulfed her into his arms, one wrapped securely around her head as he pressed a soft kiss into her hair. He was sure they were hugging for different reasons, him in deep relief that she was safe and hers for reasons unknown but it didn't matter now as she looked up, tearful, mascara smudged eyes meeting his and he felt his heart break once more. Quickly taking off the jumper he wore, he opened it ready for her to put on, she wore a lacey top and a skirt two inches too short - both of which he had never seen before- but perhaps now wasn't the time to bring it up, it was a wonder she didn't catch hypothermia before he arrived in the first place.

"I'm so sorry"

"It's alright" he assures, guiding her to the car, "Let's get home before you freeze."

The night continues with the two of them in the car silently, Shiu driving much slower than before as he cautiously looks at his daughter through the mirror. He wasn't quite sure what to do, if this would be the time were he says something to try and put her at ease, maybe berate her for doing something so careless. He wasn't quite sure he'd be speaking to the same daughter he was used to, never had he been warned about this kind of situation before when people teased him about having such a fiery child but right now it seemed that fire had been extinguished completely and he yearned for the slightest sight of a flame.

"Is there anything so undoing as a daughter?" Shiu repeated inwardly but it wasn't a question. He felt himself slip the moment she was born and now he grovelled in the helplessness as she grew.

He had been relying on muscle memory throughout the car ride as he thoughtlessly pulled into the driveway slowly and lowering the lights so as to not alert anyone inside. Ah...What was he to tell you? He would tell you, of course ,but now? Would you be mad if he waited until the morning, would your girl still be in such a sorry state when she woke up? A thousand more worries came up in Shiu's mind and what could soothe them?

"Thank you, Dad" The girl spoke out cautiously, already looking at him as he turned and he couldn't help but view her ten years younger.

Still at a loss he repeated the same phrase, "It's alright, Love." and gave a squeeze to her hand to which she gave a slight smile.

He sighed.

"I will have to tell your mum..."

The girl looked down and away.

"I know..."

"You know we aren't evil..."

"I know...but can we talk about it in the morning? please?"

"Okay."

And Shiu hoped that somehow, through the exchange and his eyes, she knew that he would always be there for her.

Catch the arcane ref? I'm so happy with how this turned out!!!

Please feel free to leave any recs/ideas x

[littlemissstel]

Soft-Play Love- Shiu Kong

You meet someone while taking your daughter to the softplay centre.

No use of (Y/n), Shiu and reader are both in their late 30s and have daughters, (D/n) = daughters name, "mummy"

dividers from @saradika-graphics

It had taken a month of begging from your daughter to finally take her to the soft play centre which she loved oh so much. It wasn’t that you minded her being there—it was just that you knew the routine all too well: the first twenty minutes of her clinging to you , the next hour of boredom as you waited, then the inevitable meltdown when it was time to leave. Not to mention the sickness a few days later once the germs caught up with her, keeping her a grumpy mess for what seemed like an eternity. And like any other reasonable parent, you'd rather not deal with any of those things. If you'd been a bit younger when you had your girl, perhaps this wouldn't be so draining- but you weren't and it was.

Still, you couldn’t help but smile at her excited little face, knowing how much this meant to her- it was just a part of growing up, and so, begrudgingly, you spent your Saturday afternoon sat on a chipping, washed-out, squeaky chair; overstimulated by the merging sounds of high-pitched shrieks from feral children and smell of sickeningly sweet processed snacks. Truth be told, you hadn't seen your daughter for the last ten minutes - too engrossed in your book to acknowledge the passing time. The last few instances you had managed to catch sight of her she was accompanied by a young girl around the same age, who sported pigtails and a wide smile to show off the gleaming rows of wobbly teeth. It's not often she bothered at making friends so you were more than happy to let them be, but you figured it was time to warn her about leaving soon as the end of your session approached- knowing she would no doubt bring chaos in her wake.

"MUMMYYY!!" the all too familiar voice sounds from behind as she runs into view, her new found friend in hand.

"Me and Min-hee want ice cream!"

"Yes please!" the little girl added, her rosy cheeks squished in delight.

For a moment you considered saying no, but how could you? Not when two anticipating faces of faux angels looked up at you with such expectation.

"How about we ask Min-hee's parent if they are okay with it first?", you suggested, already reaching for your bag. "Then I’ll get you both some ice cream."

And in a blink the two girls were off, racing back into the chaos of the play area.

You figured that was the end of the conversation until they both reappeared, a tall and handsome man trailing after them with his gaze meeting yours. He seemed to be around your age, no older than forty which was rare to see and you perked up in interest. There were a few parents from your daughters year who were also in their late 30s but they were the least sociable of the cohort, either that or they had their biases about you being a single parent. It wasn't something you had ever foreseen. You and your then husband had been together for a long time beforehand and when your daughter had unexpectedly came you both saw it as a blessing. Though a few years after her arrival, fights began to frequently arise ; about his job, about household chores, about quality time, about trivial matters that never should've been a problem in the first place. You both tried to make it work but you had already drifted too far and- although not fully divorced- decided to separate. Now you both co-parent on good terms, though the unevenly split weeks still tend to be the subject of most disputes.

You stood up, snapped out of your daze, giving him a friendly smile, but for a moment, it felt like the words caught in your throat. It was one of those strange moments where the quiet between two strangers is just enough to make you second guess.

"Daddy! (D/n)'s mum wants to say something to you!"

"Oh—no, I just wanted to know if it’s alright for the girls to get ice cream," you blurted, suddenly feeling put on the spot, "I didn’t mean to drag you over here."

He smiled—an easy, small but genuine smile—and you felt a wave of relief. "It’s no problem. I don’t mind at all. Do you have a preference?" he asked, his voice deep, almost soothing.

"A preference?"

"Of ice cream flavor"

"Ah, no, thank you," you said, shaking your head. "I really don’t mind getting them myself."

"It’s my treat," the tension between you both easing as he spoke.

"Then can I at least help you carry them back?"

"Of course", and he stepped aside, gesturing for you to follow him

The conversation was concluded by the badly hidden giggles of your girls who took turns whispering in each others ear. If you had to guess it would be D/n cracking poorly made jokes. If Shiu had to guess, his daughter would be up to something.

The table where the girls sat was right next to the restaurant so you had no qualms about leaving them for a few minutes as you followed Shiu into the queue.

"Do you come here often?" He starts, turning his body halfway to you. Each ray that streamed through the windows turned everything it touched into a fierce gold which bounced off the side of his face and into his eyes- creating splotches of sweet honeycomb too captivating to look away. It was almost as if the heavens were testing your resolve with how they shone down on him and you could only pray the light blocked his vision enough so that he didn't notice your prolonged stare.

"We used to but not so much anymore. D/n has been bugging me for weeks and I couldn't hold off any longer"

"That sounds about right" he chuckles dryly

"What about you?"

"It's our third time, I've been meaning to take her more but it's hard to find the time when there's only one of you"

You nod in excitement understanding, "I get it, there's only one of me too- and i could think of a thousand other things that need doing right now but..."

The two of you continued to talk, the subject straying slightly further from kids and more into your personal lives which you unexpectedly appreciated. Children were something you both had in common yes, but you hadn't had a proper conversation with another adult in a long while and it was nice to interact with someone as the original you for once- not just 'mummy'. He had an unspoken charisma about him, one that drew you in and you felt more and more compelled to ask about the mundane aspects of his day to day life- anything to fill the puzzle in your head of the intriguing man. Eventually the ice creams were served and although you initially joined him to help carry the two sizable bowls of sugar, he quickly scooped them up and asked another question before you could have a word of it.

"So," he said, voice low and subtly teasing, "do you think we’ll be able to handle two sugar-high kids at the same time?"

You raised an eyebrow, smirk tugging at the corner of your lips. "As long as they continue to entertain each other, but I’m sure we'll regret it regardless"

The girls were already bouncing in their seats, their eyes wide with excitement like little comical bunnies and you couldn’t help but chuckle. The two of you sat down next to each other engaging in conversation as the girls indulged in their own and suddenly the cheap plastic chair, bright fluorescent lights, and overbearing shouts of children became more comfortable than it had any right to be - blurring into the distance.

You seemed to bond with Shiu seamlessly, the two of you finding another who understood the hidden struggles of single parenting and you had wished it was as easy to talk to all of the parents you had to interact with; normally as a result of your daughters playdates where conversations consisted of watered down small talk.

Your discussion was cut short however as a loud beep echoed through the room—a reminder that your session was almost up and you prepared yourself for the oncoming tantrum.

"Ah, I’m afraid we need to get going soon," you said, carefully. "Our session's almost over."

The girls' faces fell. "Noo! Thats's not fair!" D/n whined, slumping in her seat.

You looked over at Shiu, feeling the irony of your disappointment as you not too long counted down the minutes until you could leave.

"Well, we’ll have to do it again sometime," he said, his voice warm.

"Definitely," you agreed, a tad too fast for your liking. "Maybe we could arrange a playdate for the girls? They seem to have hit it off."

Shiu’s smile softened. "That'd be great"

The girls erupt in squeals once again,

"Can we have a sleepover!?" (D/n) begged. "Please, please, can Min-hee come over?"

You and Shiu exchanged knowing, apologetic glances, and you reached for your phone, handing it to him.

"Here, I'll text you and we can figure out what works best"

He took the phone, his fingers brushing yours for just a second. "Sure thing." He quickly typed before handing it back to you. "Looking forward to it."

"Me too," you said, feeling a flutter of anticipation in your chest as you saved his number.

For some reason the simple exchange felt strangely significant, like the start of something new.

Please feel free to leave any ideas/ recommendations x