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Jeongin opened his eyes and rubbed them. He looked at his right and reached for his phone, then opened the clock app and deactivated the alarm he had set for 7am; not that he needed it, he was so used to waking up at the same time every day that he always automatically opened his eyes few minutes before it, just in time to stop his phone from ringing and waking up the man sleeping next to him. That was his job.
He put his phone down and rolled over, scooting closer to the other and wrapping his arm around his waist.
“Baby, wake up.” He mumbled against his soft hair before lightly placing a kiss on the top of his head.
“No.”
Jeongin giggled and gently rubbed his hip, then pressed his lips along his shoulder.
“We have things to plan.” He tried to remind him.
“Five more minutes.” The older whined.
“Okay.”
When it came to Hyunjin, Jeongin didn’t know how to say no. And how was he supposed to? He was his everything.
They met in college, both studying to be teachers, and became instantly inseparable, studying together, hanging out every day, until they finally kissed one night while they were cuddling on the couch, the movie they were watching forgotten as they held each other and confessed their feelings in between kisses. Jeongin remembered well how his lips tasted of the cheesecake they had after dinner, he remembered well how Hyunjin had looked him in the eyes and told him he had wanted to do that since they first met. He remembered how shy he felt when they told their group of friends they were dating, how embarrassing it was when they all told them to kiss, how he still did that because kissing Hyunjin was the best thing in the world. He remembered all their dates, all the loving moments they shared, the fun times, the hard times and how on the day after their graduation they were standing on his old apartment’s balcony, watching the sun setting over the city and he looked at his boyfriend and asked him to marry him; he didn’t kneel down, he didn’t have a ring because he hadn’t planned it, he just asked because it was what it felt right in that moment, and Hyunjin looked back at him with widen eyes, then cupped his cheeks and kissed him, pulling back just to say that yes, of course, he’ll marry him, and Jeongin cried, they both did, and he felt like he couldn’t get happier.
But Jeongin was wrong, he quickly realized that it was just the starting point of something he hadn’t even imagined in his wildest dreams. They moved in together, found their dream jobs, Hyunjin was an art teacher while he was a kindergarten teacher, and for a year it was just the two of them, spending nights sharing anecdotes of their students and falling asleep cuddling. Then on a rainy day the older came back home holding the smallest dog Jeongin’s had ever seen wrapped in a towel, told him how he found him outside the school abandoned and how he couldn’t leave him there. And that was how Kkami, the sweetest yet most evil chihuahua Jeongin had ever met, came into their lives.
After a year of living together, on their third anniversary, Hyunjin and Jeongin got married. It had been a wonderful day, the second best of his life, full of tears, laughter, kisses and promises of loving each other until the end of their days. He was so happy, talked with all their guests just so he could say “Oh yes, my husband” with a stupid grin on his face, and then they slowed danced and it felt like the world stopped just for them. They left for their honeymoon, obviously taking Kkami with them, but Jeongin didn’t remember much about the place, what he remembered was how relaxing it was, sleeping in every day, spending hours lazily making out while pressing their bodies as close as they could, how he had fallen asleep every night staring at Hyunjin and thanking the universe for bringing him into his life.
The best day of his life was when their daughter, Mihui, was born. She was so small, smaller that Kkami the day Hyunjin had brought him home, and she was the most beautiful baby he had ever seen. He was so nervous of holding her, but as soon as he had her in his arms he felt a different kind of love, one he didn’t even know existed, and promised himself that from that moment every breath he’d take would be for her. He didn’t even realize he was crying until Hyunjin wiped away his tears with his thumbs and wrapped his arms around his waist, laying their foreheads together as they looked at their daughter between them.
Jeongin kissed his husband’s shoulder and moved his hand to his chest, gently drawing circles on it.
“We really need to get up now.”
Hyunjin whined and turned around, then rubbed his eyes, stretched his arms and wrapped them around the younger’s neck.
“Morning.”
“Morning beautiful, how did you sleep?”
“Good,” He replied while kissing his cheek. “Wish I could sleep more.”
Jeongin giggled and kissed his forehead, putting his arm around his waist to drag him closer. He hid his face against his hair and smiled; Hyunjin had a distinct natural scent that was intoxicating to him. Back in their uni days, before they were dating, they used to have trash movie nights so they could relax on the couch and comment how stupid the characters were. They always started by sitting on the opposite sides of the couch, but as the movie rolled on they would inevitably get closer to each other, and Hyunjin would often lay his head on his shoulder, shyly moving his hand closer to Jeongin’s, until the latter got enough courage to take it in his and intertwine their fingers. For months Jeongin couldn’t understand why having the other that close, his scent invading his nostrils, kept making him feel dizzy.
He felt Hyunjin pressing light kisses against his chest and sighed, wishing they could just spend the morning cuddling in bed, but they had a lot to do.
“We really need to get up.”
“I know.”
The older pouted and Jeongin couldn’t stop himself from kissing those pretty plump lips that had always driven him a bit insane. It felt so nice, kissing the man he loved, he could never get enough of him. Hyunjin pulled away, sat up and passed a hand through his hair. Jeongin stood there, mouth half open as he stared at his husband, the morning light coming from the window drawing a halo around him, and all he could think about was how he looked like an angel straight up from a painting. He’d always been so gorgeous, Jeongin knew that, never doubted it in the 8 years they had been together, but sometimes it still took him aback just how perfect he was. Hyunjin turned around and giggled, then put his index under the younger’s chin and closed his mouth.
“I’ll go wake her up.”
“Sure,” Jeongin said while sitting up. “But don’t fall asleep next to her.”
“That never happened.”
“It happens every time you have to wake her up.”
Hyunjin giggled and gave him a quick peck, then got up and left the room. Jeongin yawned and got up, stretching his arms and legs, then slowly walked to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and took some eggs and milk, then opened the drawers and searched for flour and baking powder. He was pouring the batter on the pan when he felt two arms wrapping around his waist and a kiss placed on the side of his neck.
“Smells good.” Hyunjin whispered, sleep still lingering in his voice.
“I want to see too.” A small voice said.
Jeongin looked to his side and saw his daughter looking up at him with her big brown eyes while she lightly pulled his trousers. He smiled and kneeled down, ruffling her hair.
“Good morning princess, happy birthday.”
“Thanks.”
Jeongin cupped his daughter’s cheeks and littered her face with kisses, making her giggle.
“Papa, stop.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
He patted Kkami’s head, who was right behind her, always following her around, then got up and lifted her, one arm around her while he flipped the pancakes, while Hyunjin settled the table. He slowly swayed while occasionally kissing her forehead, overwhelmed by how much he loved her, until the pancakes were ready. He brought her to her chair and walked back to the counter to turn off the fire.
“Are you ready for your first breakfast as a 4 years old?” Hyunjin asked.
“Pancakes! Pancakes!” Mihui chanted while clapping her hands.
“Pancakes.” Hyunjin repeated while sitting across her.
“Pancakes for my loves coming.”
Jeongin took a plate on which he stacked the food on, then brought it to the table. He sat down and gave a pancake to his daughter, while Hyunjin filled her glass with milk. The kid thanked them and they started eating. Jeongin looked at her and then at his husband, smiling at how they both made a sad face while taking a bite of their food; as much as Hyunjin always said that she took Jeongin’s cuteness and sarcasm, he thought she looked so much like him. She definitely took his beauty, his silliness, his sweetness and his ability to make Jeongin do whatever he wanted.
“I had a funny dream.” The kid said.
“Really?” Hyunjin asked.
“Yes, Kkami was this big,” She said while extending her arms as much as she could. “And I sat on his back and he started running so fast, then we arrived to the beach and papa told me daddy was taking a bath in the sea because he was a stinky stinker.”
Jeongin bursted out laughing, followed by the kid who couldn’t control her giggles.
“Excuse me?” Hyunjin said indignant “I’m not a stinky stinker.”
“Stinky stinker.” Jeongin replied in between a fit of giggles.
“I won’t stand for this injustice, I always smell good.” He said while crossing his arms and pouting.
“Don’t be mad daddy, it’s just a dream.”
Jeongin took a deep breath and managed to stop giggling, then patted his husband’s thigh, making the older smile. They all finished eating and Jeongin cleared the table, while Hyunjin brought their daughter to wash their teeth, then Jeongin joined them in the bathroom. Mihui was sitting on the counter, swinging her legs while Hyunjin combed her hair and put it in two low ponytails. Jeongin brushed his tweet while looking at the two, chest warming at how soft they both looked.
“Shall we do our daily affirmations?”.
They started doing it when their daughter started kindergarten, both knowing how important it is to show kids self love since they’re little, so they thought about some simple things they could say that could teach her to appreciate herself.
“Will the birthday girl start?” Hyunjin asked.
The kid nodded and cleared her voice.
“I’m smart, I’m kind, I’m beautiful, I’m loved, I’m enough.”
“You are.” Hyunjin said while cupping her cheeks and kissing her forehead.
“Your turn.”
Hyunjin repeated what she said while Jeongin rinsed and started doing his morning routine, applying toners and moisturizing.
“Your turn.” Hyunjin said while poking Jeongin’s side.
Jeongin repeated the affirmations, knowing it was important for his daughter, even if he felt a bit shy about it. His husband gave him a big smile and he felt his heart melting.
“Well,” Jeongin said once they all finished washing. “Where should we start?”
They had planned a birthday party with their friends, inviting them for dinner so they could spend some time together; they all absolutely loved their daughter, and she had them all wrapped around her finger.
“I can walk Kkami while you two start baking the cake?”.
“Yes! Cake!” The kid yelled while jumping around.
Jeongin nodded and walked to the kitchen. He put a chair near the counter so his daughter could stand on it, then took their apron; they all had one since they liked helping each other cooking or baking. He took all the ingredients and then his phone, opening Felix’s chat to read the recipe he had sent him.
“Are we making uncle Lixie’s cake?”
“Yes.”
“Yay,” Mihui said excitedly. “His cakes are so yummy.”
Jeongin smiled and started pouring sugar in a bowl, adding eggs and flour and mixing it, then let his daughter do it while he melted the chocolate. They kept baking while chatting about what she did in school, Jeongin even gave her the spoon he used for the chocolate so she could eat the remains, then put the cake in the oven when Hyunjin entered the room followed by Kkami.
“Did you two eat all the chocolate or did you manage to leave some for the cake?”.
“We didn’t eat it daddy.” The little girl replied.
Jeongin looked at her, brown stains around her mouth, then at his husband.
“She didn’t have any.”
Hyunjin giggled and took a napkin, lightly cleaning her face.
“You two are a menace together.”
The kid giggled and looked at Jeongin, who winked at her. He loved their little silly moments in which they shared secrets who were pretty obvious to Hyunjin.
“What do you want to do now pretty?” Hyunjin asked.
“Uhm,” Mihui hummed. “Can we paint our nails?”
“Of course.”
He helped her off the counter and they all went to the living room. Jeongin sat on the floor, back against the sofa, and turned on the TV just to have something in the background. And maybe because he found some of the cartoons his daughter watched entertaining; he was pretty hooked on the plot of Adventure Time. Hyunjin got back after few minutes with everything they needed to paint nails and sat next to his husbands, while the kid took the little bottles out of the box in which they stored them.
“What color do you want?”
“Orange.”
Hunjin nodded and signaled her to sit on his lap, then slowly started applying the polish on her nails.
“What are Finn and Jake doing?” She asked.
“They’re sneaking in Ice King’s castle.” Jeongin replied.
“I hope we see Gunter.”
“I hope so too.”
Hyunjin giggled and started blowing on her nails to make them dry faster, then wrapped his arms around her and lay his head on Jeongin’s shoulder, who kissed the top of his head.
“It’s Gunter.” Hyunjin said smiling.
“My favorite!” The kid yelled.
She had loved the little penguin since she first saw him and her parents learnt to love him too. They watched the episode while commenting it now and then and once it finished, she got up and looked at her parents.
“I’m going to make drawings for our guests.” she declared.
“That’s really kind pumpkin.” Hyunjin replied smiling.
Jeongin watched her daughter running to her room to take her supplies and then running back to the living room and place everything on the floor.
“Do you want me to paint your nails?”
Jeongin nodded and turned around, knees against the older’s as he offered him his right hand.
“What color should we give him?”
“Dark green.” The kid replied while coloring something on the paper.
“Dark green it is.”
Hyunjin nodded and searched for the right bottle, then slowly started applying the nail paint. Jeongin stared at his husband, admiring how utterly perfect he was, furrowed eyebrows and tip of the tongue pressing against the corner of his mouth; no one has ever been more beautiful than him.
“Do you like it?” Hyunjin asked after finishing painting his hand and looking at him.
Jeongin leaned in and pressed their lips together for few seconds, then pulled away just to give him another peck. He felt the other smiling against his lips, giggling when he kissed him once again.
“You’re distracting me.” The older murmured before connecting their lips one more time.
“Can’t help it, you’re so perfect.”
Hyunjin giggled and pulled away, taking Jeongin’s left hand in his and trying to concentrate on his task. And maybe the younger stared again, maybe he stole another kiss or four as soon as he finished, then watched him putting on dark red polish on his own nails, color obviously chosen by their daughter.
“We should get dressed,” Hyunjin said once his nail polish dried off and the kid had declared she had finished her drawings. “So we can go have lunch.”
She had asked them the day before if they could have a picnic and they obviously agreed, so they had prepared some sandwiches and a surprise little cake they had stored in the fridge. Jeongin got up and stretched his limbs, helped the older’s doing the same and then looked at their daughter.
“What do you want to wear today?”
“My bear sweater.”
“Good choice.”
Hyunjin’s parents had bought her a fluffy brown sweater that had bear’s ears on the hood few months before and she instantly fell in love with it. Jeongin followed Mihui to her room to help her getting dressed, then went to his room and choose a brown outfit for him and his husband; he loved when the three of them matched.
“Can I bring this?” The kid asked entering the room with the box of the game of life, her favorite board game, between her arms.
Jeongin nodded and ruffled her hair, then she sat on the bed while her parents got ready. Few minutes later, he locked the apartment’s door, holding Kkami’s leash in one hand and his daughter’s hand in the other, and walked to the park, where they lay down an old blanket and sat on it. Hyunjin opened the bag he brought and put the food in the center, stacking sandwiches and a bag of chips. They ate their food; Mihui was so happy when she was asked to close her eyes and opened them just to find the small cake in front of her. They took some pictures to remember the day, then played the board game she had brought.
Jeongin loved playing games with her, especially ones that had little action cards; since she couldn’t read, he would always do it for her, and for some reason the ones she pulled always said things like “give your parents a big hug” or “tell your parents you love them”. He would read Hyunjin’s card sometimes, when he was too lazy to do it, and he too pulled some unusual ones like “kiss your husband for five seconds” or “hold your husband’s hand for the rest of the game”. The kid once asked how the game knew two of the players were married, or what she would have to do if she pulled one for which she would need a husband for, so Jeongin told her they would figure it out when it happened, but by far they had been lucky.
When they finished the game, she decided to play catch with Kkami and a little stick she found, few meters from her parents so they could keep an eye on her. Jeongin lay down, looking at the clear sky, breathing in how pretty it was, then looked at the man sitting next to him.
“Hi gorgeous.”
“Hi.” Hyunjin smiled.
“Join me?”
The older lay down on his side, placing his head on Jeongin’s chest, who immediately started playing with his hair. They stayed like that for a while, enjoying each other’s company, looking at their daughter, until she got tired and ran back to them, lying on Jeongin, who wrapped his arm around her.
“Are you tired pumpkin?” Hyunjin asked while placing a kiss on her forehead.
The kid nodded and yawned, then closed her eyes. Hyunjin slowly started stroking her hair that got messed up while she played, fondly looking at her. Jeongin smiled at the sight, both his favorite people lying on his chest, arms around them to hold them as close as he could. Sometimes he was scared he could lose them, but it helped him to live in the present and enjoy every minute spent with them.
“You can nap too if you want baby.”
Hyunjin looked up at him and smiled, then moved closer to his side and placed his hand on their daughter’s back, falling asleep after few minutes. Jeongin looked at the sky, relaxing as he heard birds chirping and his two favorite people’s breathing softly. He felt at peace, heart warming while thinking about how lucky he was; a perfect family, his dream job, friends that loved him. He thanked the universe every day, because even in front of difficulties he had the best supporting system he could ask for: people who truly loved him.
He was starting to doze off too when Kkami suddenly barked at another dog, waking up Hyunjin, who whined and told him to shut up. He sat up and pouted, making Jeongin smile.
“Shall we go back home?” The older asked.
Jeongin nodded and moved the kid so she could lie on the blanket while he helped his husband retrieving all their things, then Hyunjin took her in his arms and they walked back home. Once they arrived, he brought her to her room while Jeongin launched himself on the sofa.
“Tired?” Hyunjin asked sitting on his back.
“Hey,” Jeongin whined. “A bit, but we have so much to do.”
“True,” the older replied while passing a hand through his husband’s hair. “Where should we start from?”
“Probably with dinner, then we can decorate.”
“Agreed.”
“Get off me then.” Jeongin said while trying to slip from under the other.
“But you’re comfortable.”
“I can’t stand you.”
“You’re so obsessed with me.”
Jeongin sighed and pushed Hyunjin, who fell on his butt on the floor, making him hiss.
“Jeongin,” he complained. “Why would you do that?”
“Your fault.”
“Meanie.” Hyunjin pouted while getting up “Ow, my back.”
“You’re old.” Jeongin teased while joining his husband.
“I’m only one year older than you.” Hyunjin replied indignantly.
Jeongin chuckled and slipped his right and under his husband’s shirt, slowly massaging his back and kissing his shoulder.
“Sorry baby.” He murmured against his skin. “Didn’t mean to push you that hard.”
“It’s okay,” Hyunjin smirked. “I wonder what you could do to make me forgive you.”
Jeongin chuckled and gently turned the other to face him, hands drawing circles on his hips, looking into his eyes softly.
“You are so gorgeous Hyun.”
“You too.”
Jeongin smiled and lowered his eyes, looking at his husband’s lips. Hyunjin had always been so breathtakingly beautiful and Jeongin actually believed he was getting even more perfect as time passed. He leaned in and kissed him, while the older wrapped his arms around his neck and pulled him closer. They kissed slowly, soft pecks and low hums, the way it always made Jeongin’s heart melt and his brain turn into mush. Hyunjin bit his bottom lip, teeth lightly sinking into it, a greediness that wasn’t that unknown to Jeongin, who sighed and opened his mouth, letting him slip his tongue inside. He raised his hands, palms flat against his husband’s back, moving up and down while bringing him even closer, feeling him shiver against his chest. Jeongin would never get tired of kissing Hyunjin, of how he would lick into his mouth while holding him so gently, kissing him back with as much hunger. They pulled back and rested their forehead together.
“Yeni.” Hyunjin whispered.
“I know,” The younger whisperer back, giving him a short peck. “But we have so much to do baby.”
Hyunjin pouted, gaining another kiss, lowered his hands on his husband’s arms to give them an appreciative squeeze and smiled. Jeongin smiled back, then took his hand in his and dragged him to the kitchen. They had decided to cook different simple things like pajeon, kimbap, dumplings and mini burgers, instead of making a proper full course dinner, so their guests could eat what they wanted while chatting around the room (they already knew they would all gather around the little girl).
Once they finished cooking they walked back to the living room, where Hyunjin opened one of the drawers to retrieve the decorations they bought the previous days. He took tape and a happy birthday banner and walked to one side of the room, trying to hang it to the wall while standing on his tiptoes.
“Let me help.”
Jeongin wrapped his arms around his waist and lifted the other up so he could reach the point where he wanted to stick it. Hyunjin’s shirt raised a bit and Jeongin immediately attached his lips to his belly, placing soft kisses right above his waistband.
“Yeni.” Hyunjin giggled, cheeks dusting in pink at both his husband’s strength and affection. “It tickles.”
Jeongin smiled and put him down, stealing a quick kiss to his lips. They pushed the table to the side, right under the banner, then blew up some balloons, helped by their daughter who woke up. Once they finished, Jeongin approached his husband and tugged at his sleeve.
“Should we give her our presents now?” Jeongin whispered. “So she can play until the others arrive.”
Hyunjin smiled and nodded, so Jeongin went to their bedroom to retrieve the packages they had hidden in their closet, then walked back to the living room.
“Okay princess,” He heard Hyunjin say. “Now close your eyes.”
Mihui gasped and giggled. Jeongin entered the room and saw her sitting on the floor with her hands on her eyes and a wide smile, while Hyunjin sat in front of of her, fondly looking at her. Jeongin giggled and sat next to them, placing down the gift in a pile.
“Okay princess, you can open your eyes.”
The kid dropped her hands and gasped, looking at the three packages in front of her with widen eyes.
“Are they for me?”
“Of course pumpkin,” Hyunjin said “Happy Birthday.”
“Happy Birthday Mihui.”
The kid smiled and reached for the smallest package on the top, then carefully ripped the wrapping. She took the box and opened it, revealing a set of markers and pencil of different colors.
“They’re so pretty!” She yelled. “These ones have glitters!”
She had always been fascinated by drawings, as a toddler she would sit on Hyunjin’s legs and look at him for hours, then started copying him as soon as she learnt how to hold a pencil. Jeongin loved watching them, sure that they hadn’t noticed how you could see both their tongues peaking out the corner of their mouths when they were concentrating. It was relaxing, and funny when they decided to use him as subjects; he had all their portraits stored in one of his drawers.
The kid reached for the soft package, carefully opening and revealing a soft light blue shirt and matching pants with little drawings of rabbits.
“So cute!” She exclaimed burying her face against the shirt. “Can I wear them?”
Her parents nodded and she put her new clothes on, then gave them a little runway walk; it was a silly thing she did with Jeongin every time they went shopping together, making Hyunjin their audience, who would laugh at their poses and shower them with compliments. Jeongin couldn’t help but smile at how adorable she looked with her new outfit.
She sat back down and took the bigger gift, a white box with little penguins drawn on them, curtesy of her dad. She clapped her hands excitedly and opened the box, gasping loudly and getting up with wide eyes.
“Gunter!” She yelled. “It’s Gunter!”
She took the plushie out of the box and hugged it tightly against her chest, jumping around while giggling.
“It’s so soft, thank you daddies.”
Jeongin felt his cheeks hurting from how big he was smiling, happy that she liked it that much. He watched her running to the other side of the room to show her new friend to Kkami, who was laying peacefully on the floor, at which he lifted his head to sniff it and gave it a little bark of approval. Jeongin sighed, heart so full of affection for the little kid, thinking about how lucky he was to have her in his life; she was pure joy and love, and he would do anything for her happiness. He felt his chest warming and his eyes lightly stinging, a reaction he often had around her, and looked at his husband, whose eyes threatened to spill the same tears.
“We really are so lucky.” Hyunjin said, voice trembling.
Jeongin smiled and moved closer to him, cupping his cheeks and placing a soft kiss on his lips. It was funny how they’ve never been easy crier, but it changed once they had her. He felt a weight on his lap and pulled away, his daughter sitting on his legs and looking at him with her big beautiful eyes.
“Thank you so much papa.”
He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly, kissing the top of her head while he slowly swayed.
“You’re welcome, I love you.”
“I love you too.”
She moved to Hyunjin’s lap and hugged his neck while he kissed her nose.
“Thank you daddy.”
“Oh princess, I love you so much.”
“Love you too.”
Jeongin looked at them fondly, then slowly got up and took his phone out of his pocket, checking the time.
“We probably should get ready, uncles will arrive in a hour.”
Hyunjin gave the kid one last kiss on her head and got up, stretching his arms and smiling at Jeongin.
“What are we wearing?”
Jeongin smiled back and walked to their bedroom, followed by his husband while their daughter played with her new gifts. He obviously wanted them to match again, thinking they would look so cute in the pics they would take later. He chose a blue silk shirt and white pants for his husband, then a white button up shirt and a pair of light blue baggy jeans for him. He looked at Hyunjin and sighed; his hair got a bit disheveled while dressing, the shirt perfectly hugged his shoulders, the v cut showing part of his chest. He looked ethereal, made to be worshipped, and Jeongin had devoted his life to do that.
“You’re perfect.” Jeongin said. “Breathtaking.”
Hyunjin giggled and wrapped his arms around his neck, looking into his eyes. Jeongin immediately put his hands on his waist, holding him as close as he could and drawing circles on his hips with his thumbs.
“My gorgeous husband,” Hyunjin whispered smiling. “I’m married to the most beautiful man on earth.”
It made Jeongin cheeks dust in pink. He knew it was silly, but the way Hyunjin said that word always made him melt. Husband. He was his husband. He knew they were married, but hearing him saying it, voice as sweet as honey, always made him weak in the knees. He leaned in and kissed him, sighting when he felt a light bite on his bottom lip.
“I love you.” Hyunjin whispered, hands moving to Jeongin’s hair, running strands through his fingers. “I love you so much.”
Jeongin kissed him again, feeling a bit overwhelmed by everything he felt for the other. It was so deep, the love that ran through his body, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. He pulled away and smiled.
“We should go.”
Hyunjin pouted and Jeongin couldn’t stop himself from kissing him once. Twice. Then finally decided to walk back to the living room, where they started bringing the food and snacks they prepared for their guests.
Half an hour later, someone rang their bell, and Jeongin rushed to open the door.
“Hi.”
“Hi Jeonginnie.” Minho said while taking off his shoes and putting on his designed slippers, curtesy of all the times they visited. “Where’s my favorite kid?”
“Hello.” Jisung smiled.
Minho walked to the living room, widening his eyes as soon as he saw the girl, who mimicked his expression.
“Here comes the tickling monster!” Minho yelled while raising his arms.
“No!” the kid said as she ran to the sofa and tried hiding behind a pillow.
“This little girl seems to want some tickles.”
Minho walked to the couch and started tickling her sides, making her laugh.
“Uncle Sungie! Help!” she yelled.
“Take this,” Jisung said while handing Jeongin a bag. “My niece needs me.”
He walked towards the sofa and raised his hands.
“Be gone, monster! The knight is here.”
Jisung wrapped his arms around Minho’s waist and lightly pulled him away. The older placed his hands on his heart and then lay down on his back, then pointed a finger towards the girl.
“You beat me this time, but I’ll be back.”
He closed his eyes and suppressed a smile, trying not to move. The girl jumped to her feet and cheered, giving Jisung a high five and then jumped on Minho’s belly. Jeongin smiled while putting the bag he was given, obviously a gift for the girl, near the table; the tickling monster was a a recurring guest during their meetings, and it always made her laugh so hard. She giggled and cupped Minho’s face.
“Wake up, uncle, I have a gift for you.”
“Oh.” Minho said while opening one eye and staring at her “What is it?”
The little girl got off her uncle, then ran to her room to retrieve her drawings, then came back smiling widely.
“I made this for you.” She said while showing the paper to her uncles.
“Oh baby, it’s really beautiful.” Jisung observed.
“This is you,” She said pointing to a stick figure playing a guitar on a stage. “You are a rock star and uncle Minho is listening with all his cat friends.”
“So many cats,” Minho giggled. “I do have many cat friends.”
“So I’m playing a concert for uncle Minho and a crowd of cats?”
The kid nodded and smiled.
“That sounds lovely, I hope it’ll happen soon.”
The bell rang again and Hyunjin opened the door, coming back few minutes later followed by Chan and Felix.
“Baby!” The older exclaimed. “Come give me a hug.”
The girl run right into his arms and hugged him tightly, greeting both men, then she showed them one of the drawings she was holding.
“Uncles, I drew this for you!”
“Oh let me see, you little artist” Chan said while kneeling down.
“That’s the sea,” Felix pointed out. “Is this in Australia?”
“Yes!” The kid replied while bouncing on her heels. “These are you two playing in the water.”
“Is that a kangaroo?” Chan asked while pointing at the brown animal on the beach.
“Yes, he went to the beach to look at the ocean.”
“Typical kangaroo behavior.” Felix said smiling. “Thank you so much cupcake, we are going to frame it and next time you’ll visit you can choose where to hang it.”
She nodded enthusiastically and hugged his leg, while her uncle gently patted her head. Chan went to greet Minho and Jisung, followed by Felix, and started chatting. Jeongin noticed Hyunjin standing in a corner staring at the floor, so he decided to approach him.
“Hey.” Jeongin said while kissing his forehead. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” Hyunjin replied with a little smile. “Just thinking.”
“About what?”
“Nothing, it’s stupid.”
Jeongin was about to tell him it wasn’t when their daughter came running to them, waving one of her drawings.
“I made one for you too.”
“Oh love,” Hyunjin said while picking her up. “Let’s see.”
It was a drawing of a little figure holding hands with two taller one, a little dog on the right corner and a big heart above their heads.
“It’s such a pretty family drawing.” Jeongin said smiling, then kissed the girl’s cheeks.
“Thank you so much.”
Hyunjin thanked her too and kissed her nose, making her giggle. The doorbell rang again, and finally the last two guests arrived. Changbin took the girl in his arms and raised her in the air while she laughed.
“You two came together?” Jeongin asked smirking while closing the door.
“He just gave me a lift.” Seungmin replied rolling his eyes.
Jeongin looked at Hyunjin, who was smirking too; everyone knew those two had a crush on each other but didn’t have the courage to confess.
“Uncles do you want to see my drawing?” The girl asked once Changbin put her down.
“Of course, lady bug.” Seungmin replied while the other nodded.
It was a simple picture of two men, one taller than the other, both of them having a dog at their side.
“This is you with a dog because you like them,” the kid explained to Seungmin. “And this is uncle Binnie, he has a dog too so your dogs can be friends.”
“It’s so pretty! And we are holding hands?”
“Yes, because you like him and he likes you.”
Jeongin watched how their cheeks slowly turned red, eyes wide. Seungmin patted the kid’s head and walked away, clearly embarrassed, while Changbin thanked her and took the drawing. Mihui looked at Jeongin and smiled devilishly; she had been their number one supporter since she first heard their parents gossiping about their crush, and they maybe encouraged her to play cupid.
The rest of the evening passed between chatters, a short dance performance by the kid that left everyone in awe because of her cuteness, good food and a nice cake with which they took so many photos. It was right when everyone was eating the cake that Jeongin noticed Hyunjin silently walking to the kitchen; at first he didn’t think much about it, but after not seeing him back for several minutes he decided to go check on him. He found him leaning with his back against the counter, arms crossed as he nervously bit his bottom lip.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” Jeongin asked while cupping his cheeks and lightly tugged at his lip with his thumb. “Stop it.”
Hyunjin gave him a little smile and sighed.
“She’s already four, before we realize it she’ll move out for college.”
Jeongin smiled and stroked his cheeks. Worrying about their daughter and being afraid of watching her growing up was not a foreign feeling for him, so he perfectly understood Hyunjin’s sadness.
“I think we still have few years before that, but that’s why we need to cherish every moment with her.”
“What are we going to do without her?”
“We have each other, and I’m sure she won’t spend too much time far away from her daddy.”
“But I’ll have grey hair! And wrinkles.”
“Does that bother you?” Jeongin chuckled.
“A bit.” Hyunjin pouted.
“You’ll still be the most gorgeous man on earth.” Jeongin replied while kissing his forehead. “My perfect husband.”
The older sighed and a tear escaped his right eye, that Jeongin immediately caught with his thumb. Hyunjin lowered his head and lay it in against the other’s shoulder, who started drawing circles on his back.
“She was a baby.” He said. “The smallest baby, the most beautiful baby, and now she walks and talks and has her own wonderful personality.”
“I know it’s scary,” Jeongin said kissing his head. “But I can see how much she loves and admires you, and she’ll always be our little baby.”
Hyunjin wrapped his arms around Jeongin’s waist, holding him close, while the latter gently stroked his hair and left small kisses on his head. They stayed like that for some minutes, until the older’s sniffles disappeared.
“We should go back.” Hyunjin said.
Jeongin reached out for the paper towel on the counter and ripped some tissues he used to dry his husband’s face, then cupped his cheeks and gave him a soft peck.
“You’re an amazing dad Hyune, the best she could have.”
“You too.” Hyunjin replied smiling.
Jeongin smiled back and kissed him again, then took his hand in his and they walked back to the living room, where they found everyone sitting on the floor in circle, a mountain of gifts in bags and boxes in the center, while the kid kept jumping around them.
“Daddies!” She exclaimed as soon as she saw them. “Can I open them?”
“Of course.” Jeongin replied.
He sat down between Jisung and Felix, signaling Hyunjin to sit on his lap, then wrapped his arms around his waist to hold him close against his chest.
“Are you okay?” Jisung whispered.
“Yes, she’s just growing up so fast.”
“Do you remember when Chan first held her and cried like a baby?” Minho, who was sitting next to Jisung, asked butting into their conversation.
“Or when Seungmin picked her up and she threw up on his face.”
The four men laughed at the memories, until they heard Mihui ripping the wrapping from one of the gifts. She got a toy guitar from Minho and Jisung, a rocking horse from Chan and Felix, a lego set from Seungmin and Changbin. She absolutely loved all of them and went around kissing her uncles’ cheeks to thank them.
“They even made her a gift together.” Jeongin whispered.
“They’re so in love,” Hyunjin whispering back. “And stupid.”
“I bet they kissed while buying it.” Felix added.
“Oh Binnie, your biceps are harder than these lego blocks.” Minho said in a mocking voice.
Chan bursted out laughing and Seungmin, who was sitting in front of them, threw them a dirty look.
“I heard you.” He said.
Minho blew him a kiss, gaining a disgusted look from the younger and a questioning one by Changbin.
“What are they talking about?” The kid asked.
“Nothing.” Seungmin replied. “They’re being silly, come give me a hug.”
Mihui giggled and wrapped her arms around her uncle’s neck. Jeongin was very grateful for his friends; they used to be just a bunch of college students hanging out, worried about their exams, who turned into functional adults with houses, jobs and a little girl they all loved. They had been very helpful with her, babysitting and spending time with her because they truly loved her.
“You two are up to something.” Hyunjin said, interrupting Jeongin’s thoughts.
“What?” Chan asked.
“Yeah.” Seungmin added. “You keep looking at each other with those lovesick eyes, you’re even more disgusting than usual.”
“Tell us.” Minho said.
“Yes, tell us.” The kiss repeated.
Felix look at Chan and sighed, taking his hand in his.
“Should we tell them?”
“Okay.”
“Chan asked me to marry him, and I obviously said yes.”
“Oh my god.” Hyunjin said.
“Oh my god.” Jisung repeated.
“A wedding!” The kid yelled and jumped on Felix, wrapping her arms around the blond’s neck and kissing his cheek. “Congratulation uncle.”
“Thank you cupcake.” Felix said while beaming.
“You two are getting married and you didn’t tell us anything?” Jeongin asked incredulous.
“Well he asked last week,” Felix explained. “And we didn’t want to steal the attention from our favorite girl’s party organization.”
The kid moved to hug Chan and kissed his cheek.
“Congrats uncle, am I invited to the wedding?”
“Of course you are.” Chan replied giggling.
The girl smiled and ran to Hyunjin, sitting on his lap.
“Daddy! They’re getting married like you and papa.”
“They are,” Hyunjin replied while patting her head. “Are you excited?”
“Yes! I want to be the flower girl.”
“Of course you are going to be the flower girl, we wouldn’t want anyone else.” Felix explained.
“I wanted to be the flower girl too.” Seungmin said.
“We can do that together.” Mihui reassured, making everyone giggle.
Everyone congratulated the soon to be husbands, then decided to get up to stretch their limbs. Jisung immediately went to hug Felix while Minho picked up the girl and joined them. Jeongin was looking at them smiling when Hyunjin grabbed his arms and brought him to the others.
“Guys.” He said. “The lovebirds left the nest.”
“What?” Jeongin asked confused.
“Bin and Minnie are walking Kkami together.” Hyunjin replied while rolling his eyes.
“How was I supposed to understand that?”
“Duh.” Hyunjin replied. “Our house is the nest where we raised our little chick.”
“You raised Felix?” Jisung asked confused.
“Oh my god, our daughter.”
“I’m a chick.” The kid said. “Peep! Peep!”
“You are, baby.” Hyunjin replied while booping her nose. “Anyways, they are together. Alone.”
“With your dog.” Minho added.
“Kkami is good at setting up the atmosphere.” Hyunjin said.
“True.” Jeongin agreed.
The group kept talking and making theories, until the door opened and the little dog came running to Hyunjin, who kneeled down and cupped his face.
“Did they kiss?”
The dog barked while wagging his tail.
“I take that as a yes.”
Jeongin thought the light blush on Seungmin’s cheeks, Changbin’s smile and the fact they stopped holding hands only when they entered the room were enough proof of that, even without Kkami’s report, but he knew they’d tell them when they were ready.
The kid yawned and their uncles realized it was getting late, so they all took turns to hug her and wish her a Happy Birthday one last time. Once they all left, Jeongin ruffled the kid’s hair.
“Did you have fun today?”
“I did!” she replied. “I love uncles.”
“They love you too.” Jeongin replied. “Why don’t you put your gifts away in your room now?”
Mihui nodded, while Hyunjin and Jeongin put the leftovers in the fridge, deciding to clean the rest the day after, then the older filled the tub so the kid could take a bath.
Jeongin lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, and after few minutes he was joined by his husband.
“Hi angel.” Hyunjin said while straddling his lap.
“Hi.” Jeongin replied while slowly running his hands over his thighs.
The older smiled and leaned in, kissing him softly. Jeongin moved his hands to cradle his head, chasing his lips.
“How are you feeling?” He asked.
“Better,” Hyunjin smiled. “Thank you for comforting me.”
“Always baby.”
Hyunjin looked at him and smiled fondly, then slowly stroked his cheeks while looking into his eyes. Jeongin brain could only form thoughts on how ethereal his husband looked.
“You gave me everything Yeni, love, a place I can call home, a family.” Hyunjin said. “I owe my life to you.”
Jeongin felt his heart bursting. Hyunjin has always made him feel so loved, showering him with care and attention every second they spent together. He hoped he was able to make him feel the same way in return.
“You made me into the person I am,” Jeongin said while lightly squeezing his waist. “Your love keeps shaping me every day.”
Hyunjin smiled and leaned in, kissing him slowly, humming against his lips. Jeongin melted, shivering once he felt the other deepening the kiss, tongues meeting. It felt so good, so sweet, he would never get tired of kissing him. Hyunjin pulled away and placed a soft kiss on his nose, then got up and sat with his back against the headboard. Jeongin already missed him.
“Yeni, about that thing we talked about.”
“We talk about lots of things, baby.” Jeongin replied while getting up and sitting next to him.
“About having another kid.”
Jeongin straighten his back and cleared his voice. He wasn’t sure what his husband was about to tell him, but he was ready to listen to him and respect his thoughts on the topic.
“What about it?”
“I think we should.”
Jeongin felt his heart dropping, then beating fast.
“Really?” He asked. “Like, are you sure sure or did you get sentimental because it’s her birthday?”
“I’ve been thinking about it for a while now.” Hyunjin said while hugging his legs. “I thought about how I’m an only child and always wanted a sibling when I was young, and I know how much you love yours, I think I want her to have that bond too.”
“Okay.”
Jeongin smiled and looked at his hands, eyes tingling. He loved his little family dearly, but he had always wanted another kid, someone her daughter could play and explore life with, someone she could lean on as years passed, the same way he did with his brothers. They talked about it when they had her, but they both agreed on focusing on her, trying to be the best parents she could have. Tears slowly started falling from his eyes.
“Why are you crying?” Hyunjin asked giggling, cupping the younger’s face and drying his tears with his thumbs.
“You make me so happy, how can you make me this happy?”
“Oh angel, come here.”
Jeongin scooted closer and Hyunjin wrapped his arms around him, holding him close to his chest as he kissed the top of his head. He felt like a mess, so many thoughts and emotions running through his body, but he was glad he had Hyunjin to catch him.
“You make me so happy too.”
“We are having a baby, we are going to be dads a second time.” Jeongin whispered incredulously.
“Can’t wait to have our little baby in our arms soon.”
Jeongin hid his face against his hands and sobbed. The thought of holding another baby, of seeing their daughter holding a little kid, was too much for him. He was so happy.
“Baby,” Hyunjin giggled. “Don’t cry.”
“I love you,” The younger said in between sobs. “I love you, and our daughter, and Kkami, and our future baby, I love you, I love you so much, I love you.”
Hyunjin smiled and placed his hand on Jeongin’s back, drawing circles to help him calm down.
“Angel, can you look at me? I need to kiss you.”
Jeongin took a deep breath, dried his eyes and looked at his husband. Hyunjin smiled and cupped his cheeks, staring into his eyes. Jeongin knew he looked like a mess, eyes puffy and red, but the older always looked at him like he was the most perfect creature on earth. It always made his heart beat furiously against his chest.
Hyunjin leaned in and softly pressed his lips against Jeongin’s, who put his hand on the side of his neck. They kissed for a while, both smiling and whispering softly how much they loved each other, until they run out of breath.
“Thank you.” Jeongin whispered once they pulled away.
“No, Yeni,” Hyunjin replied. “Thank you for waiting for me. I know how much you’ve wanted this.”
“It’s okay, I wouldn’t have minded being just the three of us if you realized you didn’t want another kid, I love our family.”
Hyunjin smiled and kissed his forehead, then looked at the clock on the nightstand and got up.
“I’ll get her out, why don’t you shower in the meantime?” Hyunjin suggested. “She’d get worried if she realizes you’ve been crying.”
Jeongin giggled and nodded, taking his pajamas and walking to the other bathroom. He took a quick shower and did his nighttime routine, thinking about the conversation he had few minutes before over and over again, smiling like an idiot because he was just so happy. He couldn’t wait to have another kid, and he was sure Mihui was going to be the best elder daughter.
He walked back to the bedroom where Hyunjin had just finished drying their daughter’s hair. Jeongin sat next to her and she immediately climbed on his lap. He told Hyunjin he could go shower and wrapped his arms around the kid, kissing the top of her head.
“Do you know papa loves you so much?”
She looked up at him and smiled, nodding vigorously.
“I love papa so much too.”
“And you know I’m always here for you? And that you can come to me whenever you need to, I promise I’ll never get mad or judge you and I’ll always do my best to help you.”
“Really?”
“Really.” Jeongin said. “I’ll always love you and care about you.”
“Even when I’m all grown up?”
“Of course baby, always, I’ll cuddle you and give you kisses as long as you’ll let me do it, daddy and I will come visit you often and we’ll hug you for hours.”
“Papa I’m not sure I want to live alone, I’m scared.” She admitted.
“That’s okay baby, you’ll do only what you feel like doing, you can stay with us as long as you want, we’ll always be happy to have you with us.”
He extended his pinky right in front of her and she immediately wrapped hers around it; Jeongin had to gather all his strength not to start crying again because of how her eyes shone while looking at him.
“Promised.” He said, then leaned in to kiss her forehead.
The kid giggled, then offered to dry Jeongin’s hair, who accepted and smiled through the whole process, feeling her small hands on his head. Hyunjin came back after few minutes and she offered to do the same to him, suddenly starting a play pretend hair saloon. Jeongin looked at the two smiling fondly, chest warming.
Once everyone’s hair was dry, Mihui sat down, playing with the hem of her shirt. Jeongin looked at Hyunjin, who stared back at him confused, then lay down on his stomach so he could look into her eyes.
“What’s wrong love?”
Hyunjin sat next to her and put a strand of hair behind her ears.
“You can tell us.”
“Can I sleep with you?” She asked while looking down.
“Of course, anytime you need it.” Jeongin said.
“But I’m grown up now.”
“Oh princess, always remember you’ll never be too old to need your parents, we’ll always be here for you.” Hyunjin added.
The kid finally looked up and smiled at both their parents, then quickly lay under the covers in the middle of the bed. Jeongin chuckled and lay to her right, while Hyunjin took the other side, Kkami already asleep at the foot of the bed. Jeongin kissed the top of his daughter’s head and wrapped his arm around her waist.
“Look at you two, you’re both so beautiful, my angels.” Hyunjin said while placing his hand on Jeongin’s arms.
“I love you so much, I don’t know where I’d be without you two.” Jeongin said. “My loves.”
“I love you too daddies, goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
The kid fell asleep after few minutes, cuddled up between her dads who kept giving her kisses and whispering how much they loved her.
Jeongin smiled and looked at his husband, then hoisted himself up on his elbows and did what he did every night: a kiss on Hyunjin’s wedding ring, a silent renewal of their promise; a kiss on his wrist, where his skin was inked in a shape of a daisy, the birthday flower of their daughter that Hyunjin had designed, matching the tattoo Jeongin had on his sternum; a kiss on his lips, sealing his love.
“I love you.” Hyunjin said while looking at him.
“I love you too.”
Jeongin lay back down, closing his eyes, tiredness finally catching up to him after all the events of the day. He moved closer to the kid, hand searching for his husband’s, smiling once he found it and intertwined their fingers.
“Goodnight baby.”
“Goodnight angel.”
Jeongin fell asleep few minutes later, hearing his kid and husband’s light snores, overwhelmed by his love for his family and friends.