Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Shuji, I’m not so sure about this,” Jeonghan said over the phone as he scanned his outfit in the mirror.

He had changed four times and his hair wasn’t cooperating. He was convinced it was a sign to stay home, not go on the blind date his best friend set up for him. After all, he was a single father of a seven-year-old. It was usually a deal-breaker as most men his age liked to go out to clubs and hook up. Jeonghan was like that once, but now his life’s excitement consisted of children’s books and the politics of elementary school. While people his age were drinking shot after shot, he was cutting the crusts off of sandwiches and rinsing kimchi. However, the argument didn’t work with Joshua anymore as the blind date was also a single father with a son the same age.

“There’s no reason to be nervous Hannie,” Joshua replied. “I’m sure he’s just as nervous to go on this date, but it’s what you both need.”

Jeonghan frowned as he continued to stare at himself in the mirror, but his fight was getting weaker. Wonwoo was already at his grandparents’ for the weekend and if he didn’t go on this date, he would spend the weekend alone missing his son. He needed to do something, but he wasn’t ready to give in quite yet. He had far too much pride. He wasn’t completely convinced this was what he needed. He was a dad now and his priorities had shifted in two years. Everything he did he had to think of how it would affect Wonwoo. Wonwoo wasn’t a normal seven-year-old either. He needed extra love and care and Jeonghan dreaded the thought of bringing someone else into their small world, but he knew he had to try. If not for Joshua, then for himself. Despite having Wonwoo, he was still lonely. He still craved companionship. He needed the date, but he didn’t want to admit Joshua was right.

“I don’t have anything to wear.” He whined. “Everything I own just screams Dad.”

“The black button down, back of your closet, pair it with a white shirt and slacks.” Joshua ordered.

“Shua,” Jeonghan started, but his friend cut him off.

“Just trust me.”

Jeonghan sighed but obeyed as he moved to his closet to put on the outfit Joshua suggested. He eyed himself one last time in the mirror and his eyes brightened. Joshua was a genius. The outfit was simple but elegant enough. He almost felt like he had three years ago before he became a dad. It was almost like a familiar stranger was staring back at him.

“You look hot, Han.” Came from Jeonghan’s phone.

Jeonghan rolled his eyes but smiled. “You can’t even see me.”

“I just know.”

Jeonghan paused a moment. “What if I’m not ready?”

“You are.”

“What if-”

“What if you like him?” Joshua interrupted. “What if he’s the one and you fall in love with him? Then you’ll be glad you went.” He pointed out. “You won’t know unless you go.”

Jeonghan was officially out of fight. He sighed. “Okay, I’ll give it a try.”

“Good. Call me later to tell me how it goes.”

“I will,” Jeonghan promised as he hung up.

He looked at himself one last time in the mirror. “You can do this, Yoon Jeonghan.” He told his reflection. “You’re ready.”

“It’ll be okay,” Seungcheol muttered to himself as he adjusted his shirt. “You’ll have a nice time.”

Of course, he was nowhere near convinced no matter how many times he said it to himself. For the last two years, his entire life had revolved around his son and before that, his job. He didn’t even think about dating until Joshua brought it up saying he wasn’t getting any younger. After reminding Joshua they were the same age, he gave in. Just because he didn’t think about dating didn’t mean he didn’t want to. All of his coworkers were either married or had a partner they had lived and been with for many years. They looked so warm and happy. Seungcheol wanted that experience too. He made the mistake of mentioning that to Joshua who lit up with an idea. Joshua loved scheming and getting involved in his friends’ business Within a week, he had set up a blind date for Seungcheol, another single dad who could relate to him. Seungcheol had agreed, not seeing the harm, but as time grew closer, he became more and more anxious. What if they were too different? What if their kids hated each other? What if Seokmin was afraid of him?

“Daddy?”

A small voice broke him out of his spiraling thoughts. He turned to see Seokmin sitting on his bed, watching Seungcheol with intrigue. Seungcheol forced a small smile on his face.

“Yeah, Seok?”

“Are you okay? You look sad.”

Seungcheol crossed the room and stroked his son’s hair. “I’m okay.” He reassured. “Just nervous. I’m making a new friend.”

Seokmin briefly considered his words before giving his father a sympathetic pout. “Making friends is hard.”

Seungcheol lightly laughed. “It is.” He agreed. “Will you give me some encouragement?”

Seokmin lit up as he stood on the bed. He just barely towered over Seungcheol. “Fighting!” He yelled enthusiastically. “You can do it!”

Seungcheol swooped Seokmin off the bed and twirled him around his arms, the little boy’s giggles music to his ears. He set him down a moment later.

“Thank you. Your cheers are always magical.” He praised.

Seungcheol finished the final touches on his outfit before holding out his hand for his son to take. “You ready to go to Uncle Shua’s?”

Seokmin’s cheery disposition faded, but he nonetheless grabbed his father’s hand with a grip that rivaled Seungcheol’s.

“You like going to Uncle Shua’s.” Seungcheol pointed out. He knew why his son was acting this way, but was trying to make it better. Seokmin’s therapist had been working with him on his separation anxiety and fear of being alone. Seungcheol couldn’t let him fall back.

“You’re always there, though,” Seokmin replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

That was true. There was barely a time Seokmin was away from Seungcheol. It had taken months to get him to school without a meltdown. It was one of the many reasons Seungcheol felt guilty. He felt he wasn’t helping his son progress the way he needed to. Staying with Joshua while Seungcheol went out had originally been the therapist’s idea. Getting Seokmin used to being away from Seungcheol for short periods in a safe and loving environment would push him in the right direction. He couldn’t argue with that, he just wished Seokmin could see it that way.

“I won’t be far,” Seungcheol promised. “You’ll have so much fun with Shua that you’ll forget I’m not there.”

Seokmin didn’t seem convinced, but no longer fought his father as they took the bus to Joshua’s. The other greeted them warmly and the seven-year-old seemed to calm down bit by bit, that was until Seungcheol tried to let go of his hand. The child immediately started to cry as he grasped for his father’s hand again.

“Please don’t leave!” He cried. “I’ll be good! I’ll be good!” He choked on a sob. “Hyung!”

Seungcheol’s heart shattered into a thousand pieces. It was a regular occurrence, but it didn’t make it any easier to witness. He knelt down to match the child’s height.

“Minnie, look at Daddy, please.”

It took a few seconds, but finally, Seokmin sniffed and looked up at his father with watery eyes. Seungcheol focused on staying calm. He couldn’t break down too. That wouldn’t help either one of them.

“I won’t be gone long and you won’t be alone. It’ll be shorter than school. I promise.”

He held out his pinky as a form of a promise. The child took it without hesitation and seemed better as they stamped it.

“Please come back.” He whispered.

“I will,” Seungcheol promised.

“Minnie, would it help if you held my hand?” Joshua asked, holding his hand out as an offering.

Seokmin took it and let the other lead him to a corner of the living room where a box of Seokmin’s toys was kept during his visits. Sensing his opportunity, Seungcheol quietly slipped out and headed out to his date with an anxious and broken heart.

The restaurant Joshua sent them to was elegant and Seungcheol was relieved that his friend gave him money for the bill tonight. He assumed just a drink in this place would cost an entire paycheck. He found his blind date sitting at the table furthest from the entrance, just as they had agreed. Seungcheol had to remind himself to keep breathing. The man was stunning. He had long dark hair that was just nearing the nape of his neck. It was neatly pulled back away from his face allowing his soft but masculine features to shine through. He was handsome, ethereal and every other word Seungcheol couldn’t seem to form at that moment. He forced his feet forward and awkwardly greeted him.

“Hi, Jeonghan, right?”

The man stood to greet him and smiled. Even his smile was perfect. “Yeah, I’m Yoon Jeonghan. You’re Seungcheol?”

“Yeah, Choi Seungcheol.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you. Joshua talks about you a lot.”

Seungcheol felt himself blush. He hadn’t dated since his first year of university. Had it always felt this exciting and terrifying?

“He talks about you a lot too,” Seungcheol replied.

He just wished his friend would have told him how drop-dead gorgeous Jeonghan was so he could prepare. Although maybe there was no way to prepare to see Yoon Jeonghan. He just had to hope he’d survive the experience.

“Don’t believe a word he says.” Jeonghan retorted. “Unless he told you about how smart and cool I am, then that’s all true.”

Seungcheol let out an easy laugh. It had only been a few minutes, but he was starting to feel at ease with Jeonghan. He seemed kind and funny. He naturally led the conversation and attentively listened when Seungcheol talked. While he loved his son to the ends of the galaxy, it was nice to have a conversation with an adult for once.

“Shua told me that you’re a firefighter,” Jeonghan said next.

Seungcheol blushed again. He feared his face would become permanently red by the end of the evening.

“I work as a floater. I fill in where I’m needed. Otherwise, I work dispatch.”

“Still, it’s more exciting than an insurance agent.” Jeonghan pointed out.

He then leaned closer. So close that Seungcheol could smell his cologne. It had a hint of vanilla and floral. It smelt wonderful and he was almost in a daze.

“Joshua ordered me not to talk about kids, but we’re both single dads. How could we not? I heard your son is seven too?”

Seungcheol eagerly nodded. Seokmin. He could easily talk about Seokmin and it took the attention away from him. He grabbed his phone and immediately went to his gallery where thousands of photos of Seokmin sat. He showed Jeonghan the most recent one. Seungcheol was holding Seokmin as per his insistence and they were smiling widely in front of an amusement park. It had been Seokmin’s birthday and Seungcheol wanted to make it special to make up for the other birthdays the child had missed due to his past. It was the happiest he had seen Seokmin in two years and it quickly became his favorite memory and lockscreen. He turned to show the photo to Jeonghan who instantly cooed.

“You’re both so adorable and happy. I can tell you love each other a lot.” He noted.

“We do,” Seungcheol confirmed fondly.

Jeonghan scrolled through his own phone for a photo to show Seungcheol. He chose a recent one too, one of Wonwoo with his birthday cake. He had a bit of frosting in the shape of a cat resting on his spoon as he held it up for the camera to see. He was grinning brightly and even now, Jeonghan could still hear his son’s giggles at the cute little frosting cat and how it had turned his tongue blue and gray. His little declaration of ‘yummy!’ was the cherry on top. Seungcheol’s heart melted at the picture.

“He’s so cute! Even his glasses are cute.”

Jeonghan’s grin widened. “They are!”

The rest of dinner went easily after that, both of them swapping stories back and forth about their sons and parenting in general. Eventually, the conversation shifted to other topics and they were learning more about one another. By the end of the evening, they had already set up a second date, this time involving the kids. Next weekend, they were all meeting in the park and introducing their sons to one another. It was all moving fast, but neither of them seemed to mind. They felt at ease with one another. They could only hope the feeling would continue.

Chapter Text

Fresh snow was falling when Seungcheol first met his son. It had been a bitterly cold January and it seemed like it was only going to get worse. He was at a local firehouse, filling in for a firefighter whose wife just had a baby. The others sat around talking about their own children and experiences while Seungcheol sat alone, not having anything to share. He lived alone in a small apartment. He came home to the sound of silence. Surely no one would want to hear about that. His misery was forgotten when the alarm sounded reporting a fire. Seungcheol was the first one out to the garage and he quickly suited up.

The fire was burning a small residence on the other side of the district. It was small and contained but could become a bigger threat the longer it burned. Seungcheol and two others were tasked to enter the home and search for any residents who needed rescuing. While one searched upstairs and the other searched the main level, Seungcheol searched the basement. Animals and small children usually hide during fires and often aren’t found until after due to being so well hidden. In the dark basement, Seungcheol’s sharp eyes caught sight of a small figure huddled in the corner. Upon closer inspection, he found it to be a child, no older than four or five. His heart broke as he tentatively approached him. The child tried to scurry away from him but was too weak to do so.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Seungcheol told him gently. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m a fireman. I’m here to rescue you.” He held his hand out and patiently waited for the child to make the next move. Finally, after several moments of hesitation, the boy took his hand and allowed Seungcheol to carry him. He reached for his radio with his free hand.

“I’m bringing a child out, possible smoke inhalation.”

Once safely outside, Seungcheol carried the child to the waiting paramedics on sight, but the moment he tried to set him down on the stretcher, the boy began to cry and grasped onto Seungcheol tighter.

“No! Please! Don’t let go! Hyung! Hyung!”

Seungcheol was startled, not expecting such a scene. One of the paramedics offered a solution. “Here, you can hold him while I check him out.”

Seungcheol lifted the boy back into his arms properly and smoothed back his hair. The boy's frantic cries had died to hiccups, but silent tears were still streaming down his face.

“Is that okay? Can I hold you while the nice lady checks on you?” Seungcheol asked him.

The boy nodded and stayed still against Seungcheol as the paramedic worked. Other than some bruises and cuts, he was fine, but the paramedic pointed something out that caused concern. The boy had old marks on his ankles and wrists as if he had been tied up. Seungcheol gulped as he remembered that the child had been huddled in the basement. He felt feather-light in his arms and he was terrified beyond belief. Something bad had happened to this child. As a warm blanket was wrapped around the small and frail child, Seungcheol held him closer, trying to reassure him that he wouldn’t be hurt anymore.

One of the many things firefighters are taught is to leave a call in the past, no matter how bad or traumatic it was. Their job was to protect and help. They couldn’t go beyond that or they would drown. However, firefighters were also human and it was easier said than done. Seungcheol couldn’t stop thinking about the boy he rescued. How scared he had been and how hard he had cried when Seungcheol left him in the care of the paramedics and police. As he went back to the firehouse, he tried to focus on other things, but his mind kept drifting to the child. He wondered what would happen to him. He wondered where he was going to go.

News about the child came a week after the rescue. Seungcheol had heard from the paramedic that the boy had been kidnapped. The neighbors had all said the same thing when asked, the couple that lived in that house didn’t have a child and after a strange argument, they took off in the middle of the night, minutes before the fire started. It seemed that were paranoid of being caught and were trying to destroy the evidence. The mere thought made Seungcheol’s blood boil. Who could do that to a child? Worst of all, the boy didn’t have parents. They had died months earlier. The poor child was all alone in the world. Breaking protocol, Seungcheol visited the child. He was staying in a children’s home until other arrangements could be made. Normally for a child so young, an emergency placement in a foster home in the network could be made, but none were available. When Seungcheol came to visit, he immediately found the child sitting alone on the floor with a toy train in front him. He didn’t play with it. He just sat and stared at it. The sight broke Seungcheol’s heart. The poor child had been through too much in his short life. He wished he could take it all from him, but knew it didn’t work that way. He would have to try and make it better instead.

“Hey,” Seungcheol said as he carefully approached him.

The child looked up and his face instantly lit up as he recognized Seungcheol. He scurried from the floor and moved to attach himself to Seungcheol’s side. The other’s heart warmed at the action, happy to be able to be some form of comfort for the child.

“I came to check on you. I didn’t know if you would remember me or not.”

“You’re the one who saved me. You’re nice.” Came the small reply.

Seungcheol ruffled the boy’s hair. “What’s your name?”

“Seokmin.”

“Seokmin, that’s a nice name. I’m Seungcheol.”

Seungcheol spent the afternoon with Seokmin. The more they talked, the more the small boy began to come out of his shell. He was lively and had an overactive imagination. His life had been rough but it didn’t break his spirit. However, when Seungcheol started to leave, Seokmin began to cry as he had that day. He wouldn’t let go of Seungcheol and kept shouting for him not to leave him. Seungcheol was at a loss. Even when several workers came to calm the child, Seungcheol couldn’t get the sound of Seokmin’s cries out of his head. It was then he made the most impulsive and important decision of his life, he began the process of adopting Seokmin. It was a long and tiring process that nearly didn’t go through, but within the year, Seungcheol was able to bring Seokmin home. The boy adjusted well, but it was clear he had psychological damage. He wouldn’t sleep in the room that Seungcheol made for him. Instead, he curled up in Seungcheol’s bed content and happy until the nightmares came along. He woke up almost every night screaming for his hyung and when Seungcheol tried to console him, the child would only cry harder. He had yet to figure out who exactly his hyung was, but he was clearly someone Seokmin loved and lost.

On his first birthday after his adoption, Seokmin had almost completely adjusted to living with Seungcheol. He was seeing a child psychologist, was adjusting well in his new school, and had even begun sleeping alone, but the nightmares still plagued him from time to time. He would never tell Seungcheol what they were about, only that he missed his hyung and was afraid of the bad parents. He had even warmed up to Seungcheol’s friend, Joshua, and had taken to calling him Uncle Shua. It was a relief since Joshua arranged for Seokmin’s birthday to be held at his house. Joshua was a single man with an income that could only come with being an ophthalmologist. He had a luxurious house in the middle of Seoul with plenty of space for all of the friends Seokmin had made in the last year. When it came time to blow out the candles, he only had one request.

“Daddy, can you light them again?” Seokmin asked with pleading eyes that very nearly resembled a puppy.

Seungcheol’s heart nearly combusted. Seokmin called him daddy for the first time. It had always been Cheol hyung or hyungie. Never daddy. He wanted to run around the room and tell everyone, but he was mindful of what Seokmin’s psychologist told him. Seokmin was still learning to trust. Too much enthusiasm at once was bound to scare him. If he acted normally, Seokmin would understand that it was okay and he could continue doing so. So, Seungcheol forced himself to be calm as he sent his son a gentle smile.

“Sure, bud.”

He didn’t ask why. He simply relit the candles thinking Seokmin wanted a second wish or just wanted to savor the moment of having a birthday. The little boy folded his hands and was silent for several moments before blowing the candles out once more. When he was handed the first piece of cake, he gently set it aside and asked for another piece. This one, he ate.

“Maybe it’s an imaginary friend.” The psychologist, Dr. Joo, offered when Seungcheol brought it up at the next appointment. “He is at that age and seems to have quite the imagination.”

Seungcheol wasn’t entirely convinced but forced himself not to be too concerned with it. After all, it wasn’t like it was anything dangerous and Seokmin was happy. That was all he could ask for.

Jeonghan was having the worst day known to man when he first met his son. His boyfriend of three years had admitted over breakfast that he had been cheating for their entire relationship. Jeonghan was the side piece, a little fun to be had, but nothing serious.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t keep doing this to my wife and kids,” Kyungheon said.

Jeonghan had to grip the counter to keep himself steady. Kyungheon’s words made him dizzy. Wife? Kids? This wasn’t the man he knew at all. They had met in university. They were paired for a project and Kyungheon had been so sweet and charming. Jeonghan had thought he was in love with him and this conversation was a cold steel knife being pressed slowly into his chest and poking at his heart.

“Wife? Kids? Kyungheon what the hell?” He forced a deep breath. “How long have you been married?”

“Four years.”

Jeonghan nearly collapsed. “Four? Four years? So what was I then? A little bit of fun on the side?”

Kyunheon had the audacity to shrug. Having enough, Jeonghan snatched the bowl Kyunheon was eating from and pointed to the door.

“Get the hell out of my house. I never want to see you again.”

“Jeonghan-”

“I mean it, get out.”

Kyunheon frowned but did as told, the door slamming behind him. Jeonghan let out a tense breath as he dumped the food out. He couldn’t believe he cooked for that bastard, slept with him, loved him. He felt stupid. He should have known. Kyunheon had always kept him at a certain distance. He had never met any of his friends or his family. They rarely discussed anything personal. All the signs had been there, but he had been too blind to see them. A clap of thunder shook through and Jeonghan groaned. A thunderstorm and he still had to go to work. Was the universe completely against him? At least he had his own car and Kyunheon wasn’t around to borrow it anymore. Just as he started to make a plan, his phone rang. He reached for it but grimaced when Kyunheon’s face was displayed. He immediately declined and blocked his number straight after. That bastard had some nerve. When his phone rang again several seconds later, he nearly threw his phone but stopped himself when he recognized the name.

“Hello?”

“Is this Mr. Yoon Jeonghan?”

“Yes, it is.”

“This is Na Jurin, we’ve spoken a few times.”

“Yes.” Jeonghan confirmed. “May I ask what this is about?”

“We have a child here in need of an emergency placement. You are currently on the list.”

Jeonghan had forgotten about that. A year ago, he had registered to become a foster parent, thinking it was something Kyunheon wanted too. Regardless, he went along with it. Now, Jeonghan wondered why. Maybe he was just trying to placate him. Either way, they had been interviewed, investigated, and Jeonghan’s home had been inspected. Eventually, they were listed as a contact for emergency placement for young at-risk children. They had never been contacted until today.

“Uhm, I am no longer with my boyfriend. Will that affect anything?”

He heard the shuffling of papers on the other end before an answer came. “No. Mr. Baek Kyunheon never officially signed anything anyway.”

Of course he didn’t. Jeonghan quickly thought through his options. He was having a horrible day, but the child in question was no doubt having a worse one. Perhaps he could do something good.

“I would like to take the child in.” He declared.

He took off work, claiming a family emergency, and by that afternoon, Wonwoo arrived. He was small and had curious cat-like eyes that were covered with a pair of adorable glasses. He observed everything carefully and kept a careful eye on the two adults before him. Jeonghan tried to appear gentle and friendly as he knelt down to match his height.

“Hi Wonwoo, I’m Jeonghan. I’m happy to have you here.”

Wonwoo slowly blinked but didn’t reply. The caseworker laughed nervously. “He’s a little shy.” She explained. “Poor guy came to the police station all distraught before they sent him to us.”

Jeonghan frowned. Just what had Wonoo been through? He decided he wouldn’t ask. For now, he would help Wonwoo be comfortable. His comfort and safety is what mattered most. He held his hand out.

“Would you like a tour?”

Wonwoo nodded but didn’t take Jeonghan’s outstretched hand. Jeonghan didn’t take it personally as he said a simple goodbye to the caseworker before giving Wonwoo a tour of his house. It wasn’t as big as Joshua’s, but it was sizeable, complete with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Being an insurance agent wasn’t all bad. Jeonghan led Wonwoo to the room he had set aside in case he was ever called. It was painted a pale yellow and had an assortment of toys and clothes for various ages of children.

“This is your room. You’re free to use anything you wish here. You don’t have to ask. I want you to be comfortable.” Jeonghan told him.

Wonwoo bowed. “Thank you, sir.”

Jeonghan nearly died from cuteness aggression, but held still. “You don’t have to call me sir, Wonwoo. You can call me whatever is comfortable.”

Wonwoo nodded. “Okay…hyung.” He paused, seeming to hesitate. Jeonghan noticed immediately.

“Wonwoo, what is it?”

“Can you…Can I…stay with you tonight?”

Jeonghan practically melted. “Of course.”

That night, Wonwoo slept in Jeonghan’s bed and kept his eyes trained on the adult as if he were afraid that Jeonghan would disappear if he blinked. Jeonghan had tried to reach out for his hand to give him something to ground him, but Wonwoo refused it once more. Jeonghan understood and instead, whispered small encoruagments and reassurments. Before long, Wonwoo was finally asleep and Jeonghan felt his mood brighten.

Months passed and the two eventually became accustomed to one another. Jeonghan had begun the process of adopting Wonwoo, not being able to imagine his life without the little boy in it. They were learning more about one another. Jeonghan was learning that Wonwoo had interesting little quirks. He didn’t like handholding but liked cuddles. He would never walk in front. He always had to walk behind. Often Jeonghan felt like he was being watched and was always warmed when he realized it was Wonwoo looking after him.

Wonwoo’s adoption was finalized on his birthday. Both of them were beyond excited and Jeonghan set out to throw a grand party. He kept it small, knowing his son’s aversion to crowds but he didn’t hesitate to shower the child with gifts such as books and video games, two things he had expressed interest in. He only paused after blowing out his candles. He looked up at Jeonghan rather shyly.

“Appa, can I blow them out again?”

Jeonghan found the request to be a bit odd, but already knew he couldn't deny Wonwoo anything. His heart was soaring at being called appa. It wasn’t the first time, but it didn’t stop it from being exciting either. Wonwoo was finally warming up to him. Upon his request, Jeonghan relit the candles and watched as his son made another wish and blew out the candles again. He set the first piece aside and ate the second piece handed to him. Jeonghan wanted to question it but held back when he saw how happy his son was. The little boy was smiling widely as he took a big bite of his cake that had cat-shaped frosting. Jeonghan must have taken a thousand pictures. It was undoubtedly the happiest day of their lives.

Chapter Text

“I’m going to say this as gently as I can.” Minghao started.

Seungcheol was sitting with his friends, Minghao and Junhui in front of the school as they waited for their sons. Minghao and Junhui were a married couple that Seungcheol met through Seokmin as he was friends with their son, Soonyoung. They were kind and gentle people, always caring about others around them. It was almost difficult to believe that the hyperactive and chaotic Soonyoung was their son. Seungcheol enjoyed his time with them, whether it was during pickup or the rare lunches they could arrange. They listened well to him and offered him solid advice. It was why Seungcheol hadn’t hesitated in telling them about his blind date. He did, however, make the mistake of mentioning his and Jeonghan’s plans of their kids meeting. The disapproval was clear on Minghao’s face who never hid how he felt about things.

“This is the stupidest thing you’ve ever done.” Minghao deadpanned.

Junhui nudged his husband in the ribs. “What he means to say is that this sounds like it’s moving too fast. You’re a father now, hyung. You can’t just bring people into Seokmin’s life if they don’t intend to stay. That could set him back.”

Seungcheol knew he was right and the words echoed the little nagging voice in the back of his head, but he couldn’t help it. He felt a magnetic type of pull to Jeonghan. He wasn’t sure if it was fate or loneliness, but he knew he couldn’t completely ignore it. Besides, even if nothing came of them, their kids could still be friends, right? He told as much to Minghao and Junhui who frowned, but this time, Minghao stayed silent in case he said something unsavory. Junhui took the lead instead.

“It’s a naive thought, but you seem solid in your decision. We won’t stop you.”

Minghao’s head whipped around to glare at his husband. “We won’t?”

Junhui eyed him firmly. “We won’t.”

Minghao huffed but didn’t argue. Instead, he shifted the conversation. “Did Seokmin also bring home that horrible green slime?” Minghao asked.

Seungcheol was thankful for the subject change and let the sound of Minghao's complaints of the sticky slime that had ruined his home become white noise as he thought through things. He was starting to feel like an awful father. He was still new to everything. It wasn’t the same with Junhui and Minghao who had Soonyoung from the time he was a baby. He had a lot more to consider than they did. Seokmin had been kidnapped before and it seemed before that, he had been abandoned by his family. Seungcheol couldn’t do anything to break his trust. Junhui was right, he couldn’t bring people in and out of Seokmin’s life. It would tear him apart, but Seungcheol felt Jeonghan was worth the risk. They could make it work, however that looked. He was willing to try. He just wished he had more support from his friends.

His thoughts and Minghao’s rant were interrupted by a blur of two children running straight for them. Soonyoung got there first, throwing himself into Junhui and Minghao’s waiting arms. They both hugged the eight-year-old tightly before pulled away to show them something from his bag. He held up a drawing and looked proud as he showed it off.

“Ba, Pa, I drew a tiger!” He boasted.

Both fathers had fond smiles on their faces. “It’s a great tiger, Soon. You drew it well.” Minghao praised, which was the highest compliment the child could have received as Minghao was a well-respected artist himself.

“Does it have a name?” Junhui asked next.

Soonyoung nodded enthusiastically. “Soonyoung! It’s me. I’m a tiger!” He exclaimed, making tiger claws to prove his point.

All the adults fondly laughed at the sight. Seokmin joined them seconds later, instantly placing himself in Seungcheol’s arms. He held onto him tightly, knowing how hard it was for the child to be away from him for so many hours. Surprisingly, Seokmin pulled away first and smiled up at his father, his smile all teeth and brighter than the sun. It never failed to lift Seungcheol’s mood.

“I passed my spelling test!” He announced, taking the paper out.

Seungcheol took it and matched his son’s smile. He ruffled the boy’s hair. “You’re so smart.” He praised.

However, Seokmin’s smile faltered a bit. “Hyung is smart.” He mumbled.

Seungcheol frowned, worried Seokmin was going to have another episode. Thankfully, not much else happened as he told Soonyoung and his parents goodbye before holding on tightly to his father’s hand. As they walked home, Seungcheol became more nervous for the weekend.

“You’re crazy, you know that, right?” Jihoon stated as took a long gulp from the can of coke that was offered to him when he arrived.

It was a Friday afternoon, a day that Jeonghan always set aside for visits from his friends Jihoon and Mingyu. They were a married couple with a young son, Hansol, who they had adopted from the same network as Jeonghan. They met through a support group that catered to young parents who had adopted children. Jeonghan got along with them easily and within two years, he was as close to them as he was to Joshua. They viewed him the same way which was why they had no trouble in voicing their opinions on Jeonghan’s blind date and future park date.

Jeonghan merely shrugged at Jihoon’s words. He was crazy, he could admit that, but it didn’t stop his feelings. He liked Seungcheol a lot and felt a connection to him. He could chalk it up to a bad bout of loneliness, but it didn’t change how he felt.

“Maybe,” Jeonghan answered. “But it doesn’t change anything.”

Mingyu let out a long sigh. “We’re just concerned, hyung. After Kyun-”

Jeonghan glared at him. “Don’t you dare even say his name.” He hissed. He never wanted to think about that stupid man again.

Mingyu clamped his mouth shut and looked behind him. Wonwoo and Hansol were sitting peacefully on the couch, the television playing a cartoon at a low volume. The chances of them overhearing were low given that Ponyo was playing. Mingyu turned back.

“After that bastard,” He said lowly. “We have every right to be concerned. He did a number on you.”

“He did.” Jeonghan agreed. “But I can’t spend my life in fear of that. I have to take a leap once in a while.” He pointed out.

“Maybe so, but you don’t have to do it without a safety harness. Safety measures are there for a reason. You’re not the only one jumping either.” Jihoon argued.

Jeonghan sighed. Jihoon had a good point, but if there was one thing Yoon Jeonghan undoubtedly was, it was stubborn. He refused to let go when he had something, no matter what anyone else said. Besides, he would never do anything to hurt Wonwoo. He would rather die first. He had thought everything through. Even if he and Seungcheol wound up not dating, they could still be friends. They were both single fathers with a lot in common and their kids were the same age. They could be friends. It was perfect. It was just too bad that Jihoon and Mingyu didn’t see it the same way.

“I’m not running away and marrying the man,” Jeonghan said with slight exasperation. “We’re just meeting again in the park with our kids. Wonwoo is going to meet a same-age friend. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Not necessarily, but what if it doesn’t work out?” Mingyu asked.

“Then it doesn’t work out,” Jeonghan replied simply. “At least I would have tried.”

Jihoon and Mingyu both let out a long sigh. It was clear that they weren’t going to win this argument. Jeonghan always had a reply for everything and didn’t like to lose. It was a dangerous combination. Jihoon downed the rest of his coke with a head shake that exuded disappointment that could only come from a father.

“You’re crazy, Yoon Jeonghan.” Then he smiled. “Perhaps that’s why we’re friends.”

Jeonghan grinned like a madman.

Despite being confident when talking to Jihoon and Mingyu, it wavered when it came time to talk to Wonwoo. He and his son had built a lot of trust between them in the last two years. He was afraid of breaking something so precious and fragile. So, he opted for bringing it up casually and carefully. He made a simple dinner he knew Wonwoo would enjoy and asked about school, knowing it was something the boy didn’t mind talking about. He waited for his chance to ease into the conversation. Finally, a window of opportunity showed itself.

“Wonwoo, do you remember when I went out with a friend the other night?”

Wonwoo nodded. “Did you have a nice time, Appa?”

Jeonghan broke out into a wide grin and resisted the urge to reach over the table and pinch his son’s cheeks. “I did, thank you. We’re thinking of meeting again and this time, he wants to meet you too.” He told him.

He paused, gauging his son’s reaction. He lifted his head slightly in intrigue but didn’t say anything negative. Jeonghan took it as his sign to continue.

“He has a son the same age as you. Maybe you guys can be friends.”

Wonwoo smiled, but it was a polite smile, one he used when he didn’t exactly agree with the situation, but didn’t want to argue.

“Yeah maybe,” He replied, voice barely above a whisper. “Could I bring my book?”

Jeonghan’s smile was a little genuine as concern seeped in, but he managed to keep the facade going.

“Yeah, of course.” He answered.

As they finished dinner, Jeonghan realized he was making all of his life choices around a seven-year-old and it slightly scared him.

Saturday came all too quickly. Seungcheol had spent the last few days as a bundle of nerves. He wanted to chalk it up to parental concern, but the moment he mentioned to Seokmin that they were meeting new friends, the boy began to practically bounce with excitement. He asked his father a question about them at least every other hour. No, the nervousness and anxiety belonged to him and him alone. His friends’ concerns were starting to weigh on him and once again, he questioned if he was doing the right thing. He hadn’t dated in so long and desperately wanted to, but as a father, his happiness came second. What if Seokmin didn’t want Seungcheol to date? He would have to respect that. Seokmin mattered to him most of all. He at least hoped they could all stay friends.

Seokmin skipped the entire way to the park, holding onto his father’s hand tightly. It was a nice summer day and even though it was hot, it wasn't miserable as there was a slight breeze blowing. Despite that, Seungcheol made sure to lather Seokmin in sunscreen and put him in light and comfortable clothing. He didn't want anything going wrong today. His anxiety wouldn't settle for anything less than perfect. As they walked further into the park, Seungcheol finally caught sight of Jeonghan and his son ahead. They were sitting on one of the benches scattered around the park. Wonwoo was seated next to his father, showing him something in the book he was holding. Jeonghan smiled brightly as he ruffled his hair. Seungcheol's heart skipped a beat as he watched them. Jeonghan was just as breathtaking as he had been that night. Slowly, his anxiety and concerns were beginning to crumble. It would be alright. However, a shout from Seokmin shattered his thoughts.

"Hyung!" He shouted.

Seungcheol's heart nearly stopped, worried Seokmin was about to have an episode in the park. He went to comfort his son but was surprised to find him smiling with excitement. What was even more shocking was that he let go of Seungcheol's hand as he sprinted across the park.

"Seokmin!" Seungcheol called as he ran after his son.

The child was faster and quickly approached the bench Jeonghan and Wonwoo were sitting on. Wonwoo looked up from his book and his eyes widened in shock. He abandoned the book and stood just in time for Seokmin to crash into his arms. The two seven-year-olds hugged one another tightly, Seokmin even beginning to tear up. The two fathers stood stunned as they watched their sons, unsure of what exactly was happening. Finally, Seungcheol managed to find his words.

"Seok, do you two know each other?" He asked carefully.

Reluctantly, Seokmin pulled away from the hug but stayed as close as he could get to Wonwoo. He nodded in reply to his father's questions with watery eyes. Seungcheol's brain was working overtime as he thought through everything he knew about his son.

"Is Wonwoo the hyung you've been asking for?" He asked next.

Again, Seokmin nodded as he mumbled, "He's my brother."

Seungcheol's eyes were wide as he met Jeonghan's equally surprised gaze. It was clear they had reached the same conclusion. Their sons were twins.

Chapter Text

Three Years Ago 

Seokmin was practically bouncing as he walked alongside his twin. The four-year-olds were walking home with their mother after a short outing to the store. The bag Wonwoo was carrying was barely full of food, instead, it mostly contained beer and soju, their mother's favorite drinks. She was a young woman, only twenty. She had the twins when she was barely sixteen and had dropped out of high school. They had never known their father, only once being told that he was a bastard not worth mentioning and that he ruined their mother's life.  They lived in a small one-bedroom apartment, the brothers sharing a bed alongside their mother. There was a park they always passed on the way home and as he always did, Seokmin shook Wonwoo's arm as well as their mother's. 

"Mommy, can we play in the park? Please please please!" He begged. 

Their mother briefly looked away from her phone to stare at her son in slight disdain. She hated it when they begged for things, but she noted how energetic the small boy was and readily agreed, hoping he would run out of energy before they got home. 

"Fine, Wonwoo, but not for long. We have to get home." She replied. 

Seokmin frowned. "Mommy, you're silly." He scolded. "I'm Seokmin." 

"Right." She muttered sitting herself down on a bench. "Just, go play." 

Seokmin didn't have to be told twice as he grabbed his twin's hand and ran for the playground. Wonwoo barely had time to drop the bag as he was dragged around. They stopped at the swingset and Seokmin immediately sat down and turned back. 

"Hyung! Push me and then I'll push you!" 

"Okay!" Wonwoo agreed as he stood behind his brother. 

Seokmin began to kick his legs as Wonwoo gave him gentle pushes, not wanting to push too hard as he knew the other was afraid of heights. Before long, Seokmin was soaring and squealing in delight. After a few seconds, he started to slow and he gently jumped off, allowing Wonwoo to sit. 

"I'll make sure you fly!" Seokmin promised as he began to push. 

Just as promised, Seokmin pushed a bit harder than Wonwoo had and his brother was swinging higher than he was. Seokmin started to feel a bit guilty, thinking it looked rather scary, but Wonwoo didn't seem to mind, a small grin playing on his face. When he stopped swinging, Seokmin grabbed his hand, ready to run to the next thing, but Wonwoo didn't move. It caused Seokmin to fumble. 

"Hyung! Come on, I want to try the slide." Seokmin whined. 

Wonwoo shook his head. "We should go back to Mommy. You don't want her to yell at us again, do you?" 

Seokmin pouted but gave in. "No." 

Their mother yelled at them often, especially after drinking. They were either too loud or were in her way. It always made Seokmin cry and Wonwoo desperately wanted to avoid it. He was sure if they came back and ate dinner quietly, she would be happy and Seokmin wouldn't cry. So, he gently tugged on his twin's hand and led him back to the park bench where they last saw their mother. However, when they got there, she was nowhere to be seen. Wonwoo looked around wondering if he had remembered wrong. However, they seemed to be alone in the park. Seokmin tugged at his hand. 

"Hyung, where's Mommy?" 

Wonwoo's eyes frantically searched the park once more, but he couldn't catch sight of their mother anywhere. He gulped, fear starting to seep in. However, he forced himself to stay calm for Seokmin's sake. He was the older twin, even if it was only by seven minutes. He was still Seokmin's hyung and he had to take care of him. He had to be strong for him. 

"Maybe she went home." He tried, hoping that his brother couldn't see the tears forming. 

"She forgot us." Seokmin huffed. "Mommy is mean." 

Wonwoo couldn't argue. He silently led his brother back to their apartment. He had memorized the way after all their trips to the store. It was two right turns and three buildings past the pet store where Seokmin liked to look at the puppies. Then, they had to climb seven sets of stairs and their door was the fifth one to the left. Wonwoo went to turn the doorknob but was taken aback by the resistance he was met with. The door was locked. Panic began to make a home in his chest, but he pushed it down as he knocked on the door. 

"Mommy! Let us in!" He called. 

Seokmin knocked and yelled as well, wanting to help. The noise attracted the attention of their neighbors and before long, one poked his head out. He was an elderly man and always had a scowl on his face when the boys saw him. Today was no different. 

"Your mother isn't here. Now quit knocking and yelling." He grumbled. 

Wonwoo swallowed hard. "Where is she?" 

The man grimaced. "How would I know that?" He asked before slamming the door. 

At the harsh sound, Seokmin nestled closer to Wonwoo as he looked at him. "Hyung, what do we do?" 

Wonwoo forced his fear down once more. He was a hyung. He had a responsibility. He had to be brave. He had to protect Seokmin. He couldn't show that he was just as afraid. He couldn't stop and cry. It wouldn't do them any good. So, Wonwoo led his brother away from the apartment and back along the path to the park. They would search there one more time in case she was still there and they had just missed her. If they still didn't find her, they would go to the police. They could help. However, just as they entered the park alongside a crowd of people walking home from work or school, Seokmin's grasp on his hand disappeared. Wonwoo instantly turned, but his twin was nowhere in sight.  Then he heard it, a small shout. 

"Hyung!" 

Wonwoo frantically searched past people, seeing if he could catch a glimpse of Seokmin's fluffy hair, but his eyes couldn't focus. Everything was too blurry. There were too many people. 

"Seokmin!" He called out, hoping the other would yell for him again, however, a reply never came. 

His twin had disappeared too. 

Wonwoo's small legs felt weak as he ran the entire perimeter of the park in search of his brother and mother. Neither were anywhere to be seen. He started to feel as if he was all alone in the world. He wanted to stop and sob but didn't. Even if he couldn't find their mother, he had to find Seokmin. Their mother was an adult, Seokmin was a child. He stuck to his plan and ran to the nearest police station. He remembered the location after several robberies happened near their apartment. He had been worried about it happening to them so he forced himself to remember the path to the station in case he needed it. 

He rushed in and ran to the desk. It was a tall desk and he could barely peer over it, but he tried his best as he stood on his tiptoes. A young woman was sitting at the desk, writing something in a notebook. He was going to have to get her attention. 

"Excuse me!" 

The woman looked up and frowned as she saw no one in front of her. Wonwoo quickly tried again. 

"Excuse me!" 

Finally, the woman looked down, stunned to see a small child there. She stood from the desk and rounded the corner to approach him. She kneeled in front of him. 

"What's wrong?" 

Wonwoo took a deep breath, willing the tears back down. He was so grateful to see an adult, to talk to someone who could help better than he could. 

"I lost my brother in the park. He let go of my hand and I couldn't find him." He informed. 

The officer nodded in understanding. She grabbed the notebook from her desk. "Okay, what is your brother's name?" She asked softly. 

"Lee Seokmin. He's four and he looks like me. We're twins." He told her. 

She wrote the information down. "What about your parents? Were they with you?" 

"Our mommy was at the park, but we couldn't find her. We were looking for her when I lost Seokmin." 

The officer frowned but wrote the information down. "Do you know your mommy's number or your address?" 

Wonwoo gave her both as he constantly repeated them to himself in case he needed them. She thanked him and sat him down on one of the chairs near the door. He watched as she talked to the other officers, occasionally looking over at him. She sat back down at the desk and picked up the phone. She did so several more times, her face in a permanent frown. She stood and talked to the officers once more. Wonwoo could only catch bits and pieces of their conversation such as: missing, abandoned, drunk, emergency placement. The officer approached him again and forced a smile on her face. Wonwoo knew it was fake. It was the same smile his mother gave to other adults when they complimented him or Seokmin. When they would leave, she would scoff and roll her eyes. Wonwoo believed the officer wasn't like his mother. He believed she was nice, but he could tell that something was terribly wrong. 

"What's your name?" She asked softly. 

"Wonwoo." He answered softly. 

The smile widened in just the slightest. "Wonwoo, I'm afraid you won't be going with your mommy." 

Wonwoo was okay with that. Their mom was mean and made Seokmin cry. Besides, she forgot them. 

"What about Seokmin? Where is he?" Wonwoo asked. 

The officer's smile faltered. "I don't know." She admitted. "We're going to look for him." She promised. "You gave us a lot of good information. I'm sure we'll find him in no time. Until then, you're going to have to go with a nice lady." 

Panic began to rise within Wonwoo once more. He couldn't go anywhere. Not without Seokmin. He had to know that his brother was safe first. What if Seokmin was out there looking for him and he wasn't there? Seeing the tears forming in the child's eyes, the officer rushed to console him. 

"It's okay. I know you're scared, but you'll be alright." She reassured him as she pulled him in a hug. 

He wanted to correct her. He wasn't crying because he was scared for himself. He was crying because he was worried about his brother, but it felt nice to be hugged by someone who meant it. Their mother had never hugged them. She hated all phsycial contact. For the first time in his short life, Wonwoo felt warm, but there was a hole in his heart that could only be filled by his twin. He had failed as a hyung. His brother was gone and it was all his fault. The thought made him cry harder into the officer's shoulder. 

Chapter Text

Jeonghan and Seungcheol were stunned as they sat at Jeonghan's kitchen table. After the scene in the park, the fathers decided they needed someplace to talk and think things through. Jeonghan had suggested his place as it was the closest. So, while their sons sat on the couch as close as they could get to one another, Jeonghan and Seungcheol watched them, trying to process what was happening.

"I never imagined...I mean he always talked about a hyung, but they told me his family was dead. I just assumed that meant his hyung too." Seungcheol said after a bout of silence.

"I had no idea either," Jeonghan replied. "Wonwoo never talked about his family or his past, but he always seemed to be looking for someone. I thought he was worried about his parents coming back. I never imagined he had a twin."

Seungcheol looked thoughtful for a second. "It would explain a lot. Seokmin always set aside a piece of birthday cake and blew out his candles twice. The child psychologist thought it could have been an imaginary friend."

Jeonghan's face lit up. "Wonwoo does that too!" He exclaimed. "I was wondering why."

He looked over at his son fondly but with a hint of sadness. "It's sad when you think about it, isn't it?"

Seungcheol looked over at Seokmin, remembering the pain his son had experienced in his short life. "Yeah, it is."

Their sons had been through more than most adults and were still standing. They had lost one another but never stopped hoping. They kept each other in their hearts and always thought of their brother. It was a bizarre and unique connection and through a rare chance, they were able to find one another again. It was a lot to take in and process, but they had to. Their sons' happiness depended on it. As if Jeonghan was reading his mind, he turned to look at Seungcheol.

"So, what do we do now?"

Seungcheol ran a hand through his hair with a long sigh. "I don't know." He admitted. "I never expected any of this."

"Me either."

One thing was clear but was left unsaid, they couldn't separate their sons, not again. Seungcheol began to fidget with his hands, an idea forming, one he wanted but was almost too shy to voice.

"I guess we continue to date." He said suddenly.

Jeonghan grinned. "If our sons are the only reason, I'm going to be a little sad." He pouted.

Seungcheol flamed red. "No! That isn't the only reason!" He exclaimed. "I...we...I..you."

Jeonghan took pity on him. "I'm just teasing. Take a breath, Seunghceol."

He forced himself to take a deep breath. "I know we only had one date, but I really like you. I couldn't stop thinking about you and my friends thought I was crazy for today's date, but I didn't care. I wanted to see you again despite what might happen." He rushed out.

Jeonghan's grin shifted from teasing to genuine. He laid a hand atop Seungcheol's shaking ones.

"I'm glad you feel that way because I'm about to suggest something even more insane."

He eyed Seungcheol evenly, ready to gauge his reaction, something similar he did with Wonwoo when they discussed serious things. The other gulped but waited in silent anticipation. He tried to prepare himself, but nothing could prepare him for Jeonghan's suggestion.

"Let's live together, the four of us."

Jeonghan was right. The suggestion was insane. This was the second time they were meeting one another. They had been on one date. They barely knew anything about each other. However, the more Seungcheol thought about it, the more it made sense. They had already concluded they couldn't separate their sons. They were in a fragile state. Seungcheol could only imagine what would happen if he tried to take Seokmin home right now. The thought made him shudder. It was insane, but it made the most sense. Jeonghan could sense Seungcheol's hesitation and he understood. He would be just as stunned if it was the other way around.

"I have a spare bedroom." He informed trying to make it better. "I'm sure Seokmin and Wonwoo will want to share so that leaves the last room for you. It doesn't have to be anything romantic, it'll just be living together."

Seungcheol wanted to say that he wouldn't have minded it being romantic but figured it wasn't the time. Besides, that would be the second most insane thing to say in this situation. He looked over at Seokmin. His son was giggling at something Wonwoo was saying. He looked so relaxed, comfortable, and most importantly, happy. He was the most vibrant Seungcheol had ever seen him. It settled the decision for him. He looked back at Jeonghan who was watching him expectantly.

"Okay, let's live together."

Seokmin couldn't find the words to express how happy he was. He had his hyung back. His twin was in front of him, happy and well. It was more than he could ever ask for. Without saying anything, he knew his brother felt the same way. They stayed close to one another, not letting the other out of his sight for one second. Only one thing was different. Wonwoo wouldn't hold his hand. Seokmin had tried, but Wonwoo gently moved his hand away, acting as if nothing happened. It made Seokmin pout, but he didn't try to do it again. After all, a lot had happened in three years. He was sure he was different too. They were just going to have to learn about each other again. He just hoped they had the time to. He glanced over at their fathers. They were talking in lowered voices. Seokmin wished he could hear what they saying. He lightly tugged at Wonwoo's sleeve.

"Hyung, are we going to be apart again?" He asked with watery eyes.

His twin was quick to soothe him. "No." He answered firmly, sounding almost twenty-seven rather than seven. "My appa is smart. He'll figure it out." He reassured.

Seokmin found himself smiling. Wonwoo always knew what to say to make him feel better. He pushed the worries out of his mind for the moment and curled up closer to Wonwoo as he read to the other from the book he had brought to the park with him. It was filled with big words that Seokmin could barely understand, but Wonwoo breezed past them like they were nothing. Seokmin felt something akin to pride. His hyung was smart.

An hour had passed and their fathers were still talking. Seokmin felt his worries return as he saw the frown on his daddy's face. He often looked like when he was thinking hard about something and couldn't figure it out. What if he made him leave Wonwoo again? What if he left and Seokmin saw him again? He was nearly in tears and didn't notice when Seungcheol was in front of him.

"Seok, we need to talk."

Seokmin couldn't stop his tears. "Please Daddy, don't leave." He sobbed. "I'll be good. Please don't leave me alone."

Seungcheol's frown deepened as did Jeonghan's. Wonwoo was stunned but wrapped a protective arm around his brother. He almost glared at Seungcheol for making his twin cry. Seungcheol tried to find the words to comfort and calm his son.

"Minnie, look at Daddy." He softly ordered.

Seokmin sniffed but managed to look up. The pain and fear that his small eyes held was nearly enough to make Seungcheol's heart break, but he stayed calm as he continued.

"I'm not leaving you. That will never happen." He told him firmly but gently.

Seokmin swallowed hard. "What about Wonwoo?"

That was the only other answer. He was going to have to leave his hyung again. He wasn't sure if he could handle that again, but he couldn't live without Seungcheol either.

"Wonwoo isn't leaving you either. No one is going anywhere."

The twins looked at their fathers in confusion. Wonwoo looked over at Jeonghan for clarification.

"Appa, what's going on?"

Jeonghan smiled softly. "We're going to live together, all four of us." He answered.

Both boys lit up as they hugged each other with excitement. They were getting to stay together as a family. It was more than they could ask for. Both fathers smiled at the sight, pleased to know they had made the right choice.

"Wonwoo, why don't you show Seokmin your room," Jeonghan advised. "He'll need to borrow your things until he can have his brought here."

Wonwoo nodded and led his twin to his room. It was no longer the pale yellow it was when he first arrived. Upon Wonwoo's choosing, it was now painted a muted lavender. Along one wall, sat a large bookshelf, covering the entirety of the wall. One side was full of books while the other housed various video games. Seokmin took it all in with awe. His room at home was nice and he loved it, but it was nowhere near this nice.

"Your room is cool!" Seokmin exclaimed.

"Our room." Wonwoo corrected. "It's yours now too."

Right. Seokmin was going to have to get used to that. Wonwoo moved to his closet, and Seokmin followed close behind. Wonwoo searched for a moment before pulling out two sets of pajamas. They were both decorated with stars but one was blue while the other was red. They were a matching set. When they were younger, Seokmin used to beg for them to wear matching outfits as he wanted to be like his hyung, but their mother always refused to buy matching sets for them. When Wonwoo started living with Jeonghan, he always asked if he could get the same outfit in red, Seokmin's favorite color. Jeonghan, thinking he just liked the outfit, always obliged and so, Wonwoo's closet was full of matching sets, but Seokmin's half was always untouched. It was worth it to see the glee on his brother's face as he grabbed the red set and held it close to him.

"We finally get to match!" He squealed.

Wonwoo smiled. "Yeah, we can wear them tonight." He promised.

They were later called down for dinner and they sat around the table like a family. It was different and a bit odd, but none of them minded. It was also comfortable and warm. As the twins shared food with one another and giggled at inside jokes, their fathers eyed one another with a knowing smile. It would be a lot of effort, but to keep their sons this happy, they would do it over and over again. They were determined to become one happy family, no matter how that looked to others.

Chapter Text

It was almost ridiculous how easily the four fell into step living with one another. It nearly felt natural. Seungcheol would wake up first, start coffee, and gently wake the twins up for breakfast. Jeonghan would join them half an hour later, still looking ethereal despite a horrible case of bedhead. He would greet each of the boys with a kiss on the cheek and give Seungcheol a fond smile as he moved to get a cup of coffee. It was simple, comfortable, and domestic. They were almost a family and the thought always made Seunghceol's heart race. It was something he had longed for, craved, but felt he didn't need to have. He had been completely ready to live alone with his son. As he watched Jeonghan cut Seokmin's food for him, he reminded himself to thank Joshua later for his meddling ways.

After spending most of the weekend packing and setting up in Jeonghan's house, Seungcheol was looking forward to spending a quiet Sunday inside. Maybe he would watch a movie with the twins or he would take a much-needed nap, as he had pulled a long shift as a floater just days before. He was still feeling the effects. However, all of his plans were shattered when his phone loudly rang Sunday afternoon. He winced when he saw it was Minghao calling him. He hadn't spoken to his friends since they last chastised him for his impulsiveness. He was sure they wanted an update and he knew when he gave it, they would be disappointed, Minghao most of all. However, he couldn't let them worry either. They were his friends and they meant well. So, he took a deep breath and answered.

"Hello?"

"Hello?" Minghao scoffed. "Choi Seungcheol, do you know how worried Jun and I have been? First, you tell us you're taking your kid to meet a man you've only met once, and then we don't hear from you. You scared the hell out of us."

"I'm sorry," Seungcheol replied sincerely. He hadn't meant to worry his friends and knew he should have updated them, but too much had been going on. His brain couldn't catch up.

"A lot has been going on." He continued. "I still should have texted or called you guys."

"Is Seokmin okay?" Minghao asked, his tone softening.

It was no secret that Minghao had a soft spot for Seokmin. It rivaled Seungcheol's. He listened attentively when the child talked and often made him little souvenirs with leftovers from his studio. He always said it was worth it to see the joy on his face and Seungcheol couldn't argue with that. He adored how much Minghao doted on Seokmin. Even now, a smile found its way onto his face at his friend's concern.

"He's okay." He reassured. "Everyone is okay, but there's been a big change. I'll explain more the next time we meet up." He promised.

"Wait, Junhui and I can come by the apartment and Seokmin and Soonyoung can play."

Seunghcheol chewed on his bottom lip. This was it. He was going to have to tell them. "We don't live there anymore." He deadpanned.

He was met with silence on the other end of the phone. Just as Seungcheol was sure the other had hung up, Minghao's voice sounded through the phone's speaker. It was quiet but tense.

"What?"

Thankful he couldn't be seen, Seungcheol gulped before answering. "Seok and I moved this weekend."

Minghao wasn't letting him off the hook that easily. "Where?"

"Across town. We moved in with Jeonghan." He admitted.

Another long round of silence before the inevitable.

"Choi Seungcheol, what the fuck is wrong with you?" Minghao snapped.

Seunghcheol winced, holding the phone away from his ear as Minghao shouted all kinds of things at him in a mix of Korean and Mandarin. This had been what he was expecting, but it didn't make it any easier to deal with. When Minghao stopped to take a much-needed breath, Seungcheol jumped in, grabbing his rare opportunity.

"I know it sounds bad, but it's not. I swear. I promise I'll explain everything later, maybe over a nice dinner? I'll pay."

Minghao huffed. "Fine, but I want hotpot."

"Deal."

After making a plan to meet for dinner, they finally hung up. Seungcheol let out a tense breath as he tossed his phone gently onto the cushion next to him. Jeonghan walked in just in time to see the sight. He laughed lightly.

"Rough phone call?" He asked casually as he joined him on the couch.

Seungcheol sat up before sighing. "Something like that. I forgot to update my friends."

Jeonghan gave him a sympathetic look. "Yikes. I can only imagine what that had been like. I'm pretty sure it'll be something similar when I tell my friends."

Seungcheol sank back into the couch as he looked over at him and tried not to get distracted by how good Jeonghan looked. His long hair was freshly washed and flowing free. It looked soft and silky and despite the simple outfit he was wearing, he looked almost like a celebrity. Seungcheol hadn't anticipated how difficult this was going to be when he agreed to this arrangement. He felt like a teenager with a crush. He felt jittery just looking at Jeonghan. It was almost embarrassing. Thankfully, Jeonghan either hadn't noticed or was kind enough not to say anything about it. Even now, his attention was on Seungcheol, but it held no judgment. Only softness and fondness.

"We are insane, aren't we?" Seungcheol asked.

Jeonghan giggled and it was melodic. "A bit, but I would rather be insane than have our sons miserable."

"Me too." Seungcheol agreed.

"We do have to discuss something." Jeonghan started, and Seungcheol's heart nearly stopped. He forced himself to stay calm as he swallowed.

"Yeah?"

"I wanted to ask about your job. What are your hours?"

Seungcheol blinked a couple of times, processing. That wasn't what he had been expecting. Regardless, he managed to pull himself together to answer.

"When I work dispatch, and that's often, I work a simple eight hours from eight to four. However, if I fill in as a floater, those are twenty-four-hour shifts with alternating days." He explained.

Jeonghan nodded along seeming as if he was making a plan in his mind. "During those twenty-four-hour shifts, what did Seokmin do?"

"He mostly stayed with Joshua and if he wasn't available, he would stay with my friends and their son, but he hates doing that. I still haven't got him to stop crying every time I leave."

"That sounds stressful," Jeonghan noted. "I think I'm going to work from home. Someone needs to be here for the boys."

Seungcheol felt guilt in the pit of his stomach. Jeonghan was accommodating them. He was changing his life around for them. No one had ever done that before and it didn't feel right. He wasn't sure how to reply, but he managed.

"You don't have to do that. I'm sure we can figure something out." He rushed out.

Jeonghan snuggled down further onto the couch, turning so he could fully look at Seungcheol. They were so close that their knees were nearly touching and they could feel each other's warm breath as they exhaled. Seungcheol's heart raced once more.

"I want to. I dread going into the office. This will be better."

Jeonghan seemed so genuine that Seungcheol decided not to argue with him on it. They stayed like that on the couch for a bit, discussing random topics and getting to know one another a bit more. Minghao could think he was stupid, but for now, everything was perfect.

That was until Monday rolled around.

There was one small detail both fathers overlooked. Their sons attended different schools. The news devastated Seokmin who began to cry before he could finish his breakfast. He finally had his hyung back. Why did he have to leave him again? It wasn't fair. Seungcheol stood from his chair, ready to talk to his son, but Wonwoo beat him to it. He took Seokmin's hand into his own.

"Seokmin, look at hyung."

It was almost the same words and tone Seungcheol used to calm Seokmin down. It seemed as if Wonwoo had been paying attention. Both Jeonghan and Seungcheol shared a brief look of pride before they returned their attention to the situation at hand. Seokmin was still crying hard but looked up at his brother. Wonwoo rewarded him with a smile.

"It'll be okay, you've gone to your school without me before." He pointed out.

"But that's because I thought you were gone forever!" Seokmin argued, his voice raising in pitch, a sign another wave of tears was approaching. Wonwoo never wavered.

"That doesn't matter. You're brave, with or without me."

In that moment, it was clear to both adults that Wonwoo was wise beyond his years. He had been forced to grow up and play parent to his twin. It wasn't fair, but he handled it well. It broke their hearts to see and they would have to work to change that. For now, they could only watch.

"But I don't want to be brave," Seokmin whined. "I'm tired of things being scary."

"Me too," Wonwoo said as he hugged his twin. "But it won't be scary because I'll be here at home when you come back and then we can play together."

Seokmin sniffed. "Okay."

Crisis settled and adverted, Jeonghan and Seungcheol made quick work getting their sons ready for school. Outside, at the front door, they prepared to part ways. The twins hugged each other tightly and Jeonghan looked over at Seungcheol before leaning over and giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Have a good day." He told him before taking off with Wonwoo in tow.

Seungcheol's face flared red and he reached up to touch the place where Jeonghan's soft lips had just been. He was insane because he was a weak man and this arrangement was going to kill him.

Chapter Text

"You know, when we set this dinner up, I thought it was going to be just us," Minghao said before taking a long gulp of green tea.

It was Friday evening, the first chance everyone was free. As agreed upon, Seungcheol met Junhui and Minghao at their favorite hotpot restaurant. As he was still in trouble with them, he held back on mentioning that particular restaurant was on the pricey side. Besides, the moment Minghao saw Jeonghan and Wonwoo tagging along, Seungcheol knew he was in for an even longer lecture. Jeonghan, who knew he was the center of hostility, gave Minghao an easy smile.

"Just pretend I'm not here!" He chirped brightly.

Minghao didn't have to be told twice. He looked at Seungcheol, waiting for his answer. All the older could give was a sheepish shrug and smile before trying to explain himself.

"I didn't plan it this way, but you know, wherever I go, Seokmin goes and wherever Seokmin goes, Wonwoo goes, and wherever Wonwoo goes, Jeonghan goes."

Junhui spoke up before his husband could, sensing his need to be damage control. "That's okay; we just want an explanation for what's going on," he said gently.

"I know, and you're going to get one, but you have to promise that you won't yell at me until the end."

He felt silly for needing to plead to his younger friends not to scold him, but his two years of friendship with the couple had taught him plenty.

Minghao looked thoughtful. "I'll agree after I get this one thing out."

He turned to Soonyoung and the twins sitting at the table beside them.

"Baobei, can you and your friends cover your ears real quick?"

"Are you going to say something colorful, Baba?" Soonyoung asked.

Minghao grinned. "Something like that."

When he was sure all three boys had their ears covered, Minghao turned back to Seungcheol.

"Choi Seungcheol, what the fuck is wrong with you? You are the stupidest motherfucker alive."

Seungcheol was momentarily speechless and horrified. He braved a glance to Jeonghan who continued to eat as if nothing happened but looked amused as he did so. Eventually, Seungcheol got over his shock and was able to form a reply. He cleared his throat.

"I didn't know you knew those words in Korean." He managed to choke out.

Minghao's gaze never left him. "They were the first words I learned." He deadpanned.

"That...makes a lot of sense."

"Alright, start explaining."

"Okay, so it sounds crazy, but I promise you it's true. When we got to the park to meet each other, we discovered that Seokmin and Wonwoo are twins. Wonwoo is the hyung Seokmin kept asking for. Jeonghan and I...we didn't know what to do, but we knew we couldn't separate them. Seokmin nearly made himself sick at the thought. So, we decided to live together." He explained.

Both Junhui and Minghao blinked one slow blink, processing. "That is insane." Minghao finally said. Then he looked over at the boys who still had their ears covered. He lightly laughed as he tapped Soonyoung on the shoulder. The eight-year-old removed his hands from his ears.

"Are you done being colorful, Baba?"

"I am," Minghao confirmed.

Seokmin and Wonwoo uncovered their ears as well after watching the interaction. They resumed eating, Wonwoo helping Seokmin. Whatever they did, they did as a unit. They moved together and sometimes even spoke together. It was clear, even to Minghao, that they were inseparable. His gaze had softened considerably by the time he turned back to Seungcheol. He glanced once at Jeonghan, assessing. The other seemed unbothered by the action, instead, watching the twins with an evident coo playing on his lips.

"It is crazy, but I understand." He said finally. "You did what you had to do."

Seungcheol let out a tense breath, relieved to have passed the Minghao test, a feat not easily achieved. That was until the test was passed onto an unsuspecting Jeonghan.

"So, Jeonghan, what do you do?"

Seungcheol looked at his friend in a mix of horror and annoyance. "What are you? My dad?"

Minghao never once wavered. "Sometimes."

Thankfully, Jeonghan took it in stride as his attention left the twins. "Insurance agent. Not the most amusing job, but it pays the bills."

Minghao nodded, seeming impressed. "And what draws you to our Seungcheol hyung?"

"I will literally pay you to shut up, Seo Myungho."

Minghao barely spared him a glance. "Using my Korean name holds no weight, Choi Seungcheol."

"I'm older than you!" Seungcheol exclaimed.

"I know, I said hyung earlier."

Defeated, Seungcheol gave up and could only wait for Jeonghan's reply. The other had a soft smile playing on his lips.

"Other than the fact he's beyond adorable when he's embarrassed," Jeonghan started, causing Seungcheol to blush deep red, further proving his point. "I can tell he's a good dad. He cares more about the people in his life than himself. He's strong and I admire him."

Minghao didn't argue but did eye him skeptically. "You got all that from two dates?"

Jeonghan shrugged. "You can learn a lot about someone from living with them." He defended.

Junhui tapped on his husband's arm. "Are you done interrogating them? You're embarrassing me."

Minghao let out a dramatic sigh. "I suppose."

Dinner went smoothly after that, other than the fact that Seungcheol was embarrassed beyond belief and wanted to dig himself into a hole. It was worth it when Jeonghan slid his hand into his under the table. At the end of the night, they were walking with Seokmin and Wonwoo between them, all four of them holding hands. For the first time, they were starting to feel like a family. Seungcheol almost forgot about their troubles until Jeonghan spoke.

"Well, that wasn't too bad." He noted. "We just have to hope it goes well with my friends."

Jeonghan's friends. He had forgotten about them and when they arrived at the apartment the next afternoon, Seungcheol already felt he was in over his head. It didn't help that one of his friends, Mingyu, was over six feet tall. Seungcheol had resisted the urge to gulp when he met him at the door. Thankfully, his anxiety was mostly washed away when Mingyu greeted him with a large smile and an even larger hug. Mingyu was friendly, harmless even. It was Jihoon Seungcheol was completely unprepared for. He was shorter than all of them, but his intense gaze made up for it and was enough to intimidate Seungcheol. Jihoon's eyes never left him. Even as Seungcheol set the peace offering of a Coke Zero down, Jihoon's gaze never softened. He took a long drink from the can before speaking.

"So, Seungcheol," He drawled out. "Ever been married?"

Both Jeonghan and Mingyu's heads whipped around. "Jihoon!"

The other shrugged. "What? It's a good question." He defended.

He set the can down, his stare becoming more intimidating. "He's a grown man, he can handle it."

Seungcheol forced himself to stay calm. He had to think of Jihoon as Minghao. Minghao was intimidating and blunt only because he cared. It was how he showed it. Jihoon was most likely looking out for Jeonghan. He could understand that and work with it.

"No, never been married." He answered finally.

Jihoon nodded and it seemed as if some of the fire had started to simmer some. "And Seokmin, his mother?"

MIngyu nudged his husband. "Hyung, you can't just ask that!"

Jihoon reflected for a moment before clearing his throat. "I apologize. That was rude."

Seungcheol shook his head. "It's okay. I can answer that. Seokmin is adopted. I adopted him after I rescued him on a call."

The fire had nearly been extinguished. Seungcheol was passing the Jihoon test with flying colors. Jeonghan, sensing it was time to step in before Jihoon asked for a complete background check, stepped in.

"Gyu, wanna hear the really crazy part?"

When Mingyu nodded, Jeonghan continued. "Seokmin and Wonwoo are twins. They somehow got separated from one another."

Mingyu's eyes widened. He grabbed Jihoon's arm. "Hyung, it's like destiny."

Jihoon seems less amused. "I guess." He muttered.

Jeonghan gave him a knowing look. "It isn't what you think. This is nothing like that."

It felt like they were speaking in code and Seungcheol couldn't decipher it. He didn't like being left out but was also aware it wasn't his place to ask either. Instead, he turned to watch the children. Seokmin and Wonwoo were playing with Jihoon and Mingyu's son, Hansol. He was two years younger than them, but they seemed to play well together. Seokmin was on the floor rolling toy cars around with Hansol while Wonwoo sat nearby and watched them. He would smile when Seokmin did a silly voice and when Hansol would giggle. It was an endearing sight to see, one he never wanted to give up, no matter how many embarrassing situations it put him in.

"Seungcheol?"

At the sound of his name, Seungcheol tore his eyes away from the kids to find three sets of eyes watching him. He could feel himself blushing under their stares, but he kept his voice level as he answered.

"Yeah?"

"I was just asking what you liked about Jeonghan. He's a menace." Mingyu teased, causing Jeonghan to stick his tongue out at him. The interaction brought a chuckle out of Seungcheol.

"He's kind, gentle, and a good listener. I feel at ease with him. I see the way he loves Wonwoo and I can tell his love is deep and sincere. It's admirable." He answered.

He spared a glance at Jeonghan to see the other looking at him with crystal eyes, the words seeming to affect him. Mingyu and Jihoon looked at one another for several silent moments before they turned back to Seungcheol.

"You pass!" They announced simultaneously.

Seungcheol and Jeonghan smiled widely at one another. They had each passed the friend test. Unknowingly, Jeonghan ruined Seungcheol's relief with his statement as Jihoon, Mingyu, and Hansol left. He closed the door with a dramatic exhale.

"Let's hope meeting our parents goes easier."

Chapter Text

In all their recent excitement, Jeonghan and Seungcheol realized they had forgotten to update one important person: Joshua. He was their mutual friend and the one who set them up. It was only right that he was informed of what came of his efforts. So, an hour after the boys had returned from school, the fathers sat on the couch and turned to look at one another.

"How should we do it?" Jeonghan asked. "Should we pay him a visit?"

Seungcheol considered it before shaking his head. "I don't want to wake the boys up from their nap. Seokmin had a nightmare last night and it took Wonwoo an hour to calm him down enough to fall back asleep."

Jeonghan frowned. "Poor babies." He pulled out his phone. "That's okay. I didn't want to go out anyway. Seoul traffic after four is a bitch. We'll just Facetime."

Seungcheol found it a suitable solution, scooting closer to Jeonghan so they could both be visible in the phone's line of sight. He tried to ignore the electricity he felt when Jeonghan's arm brushed against his, as well as the dizzying scent of his cologne that Seungcheol was coming to love. Joshua answered on the very last ring and seemed surprised to see both of them.

"Jeonghan, Seungcheol, nice to see you together. I take it the date went well? Neither of you bothered to update me." He grumbled.

"Sorry, Shua." Jeonghan drawled out. "We've been busy."

Seungcheol eyed his friend's background and frowned as he spoke up. "Are you at a beach?"

Joshua's head turned slightly, looking out to the ocean behind him, seeming to have forgotten where he was for a moment before returning his attention to his phone.

"Oh yeah, I was bored so I decided to go Phuket and hang out."

Seungcheol stared at him in disbelief. "You just up and took off to Phuket because you were bored?"

Joshua shrugged. "I'm rich, single, and child-free. I can afford to be spontaneous like that." He defended.

Finding no room to argue, the two dropped the topic and let Joshua ask them questions instead.

"So, tell me everything. Tell me how good of a cupid I was." He prompted.

Jeonghan rolled his eyes. "The kids are better cupids than you. Anyway, it's a crazy story."

They proceeded to tell Joshua the same story they had been telling for the last three days. Joshua listened well and unlike Minghao and Jihoon, didn't seem judgemental. When they finished, he seemed pleased.

"Wow, what are the chances? Imagine if I hadn't set you guys up."

"We owe you everything, Joshua," Seungcheol replied with little to no feeling.

However, the words were true. They did owe everything to Joshua. Even if he and Jeonghan hadn't worked out, it was enough just bringing Seokmin happiness again. He would have to think of something nice to do for him later.

"When I get back, I'm going to have to visit. It'll be nice to hang out with the boys together. I always thought they would make good friends if they met. I must have good intuition or something."

"Bye Shuji. We'll talk to you later." Jeonghan rushed out, hanging up before Joshua could get out a reply.

He sighed, setting his phone down. "Sometimes I can't believe I'm friends with him."

Seungcheol snorted. "How did you two meet?"

Jeonghan leaned back against the couch with a nostalgic grin. "We sat next to each other in middle school. He was the only one who went along with my crazy plans and could match my energy." He looked over at Seungcheol. "I was a bit devious back then as was Joshua. The teachers referred to us as the Evil Twins."

Seungcheol was amused. "That bad, huh?"

Jeonghan shrugged. "Most of it was harmless." He thought for a moment. "Except for the garden snake in the algebra teacher's desk. That was a bit mean." He then sighed. "We've been best friends since and even if he's a bit crazy, I'm happy to call him a friend. What about you? How did you guys meet?"

Seungcheol began to blush awkwardly as he recalled the memory. Jeonghan surprised by the action, sat up slightly.

Seungcheol rubbed the back of his neck. "I met him in university and I had a bit of a crush on him. I thought he felt the same way and I asked him out."

Jeonghan winced sympathetically, knowing exactly where the story was going. "Yikes."

"Yeah, he was nice about it, but it was still mortifying. However, once he explained to me that he didn't feel romantic connections, it felt like less of a blow and after I got over the initial embarrassment, we easily became friends."

Jeonghan looked thoughtful for a long moment. "Imagine if you hadn't put yourself out there back then. We wouldn't be talking right now."

Before Seungcheol could reply, small feet ran into the living room in the form of Seokmin. A minute later, Wonwoo appeared, his glasses and hair askew. The fathers laughed at the adorable sight. Seokmin climbed into Seungcheol's lap while Wonwoo sat between the two adults.

"Daddy, can we watch a movie together? Like a family movie night?"

Seungcheol grinned, looking over to see Jeonghan's expression brightened by the question.

"Of course we can," Seungcheol answered. "How about you and Wonwoo pick a movie while Jeonghan and I get snacks."

Seokmin nodded, grabbing his brother's hand to the shelf so they could browse through the movie collection. Jeonghan and Seungcheol moved to the kitchen, the former scanning the pantry while the latter prepared drinks. They worked in perfect harmony as they put everything on a tray to carry back out to the living room.

"Should we order takeout tonight?" Jeonghan questioned. "I doubt either of us will feel like cooking a meal after snacks and a movie."

Seungcheol nodded his agreement. It was strange to consult dinner plans with someone other than Seokmin, who almost always answered dino nuggets when asked. It was different, but heartwarming to think of two more people before making a decision. It reminded him just how much his family had grown and how thankful he was for it. He carried the tray out and set it on the coffee table as the kids returned with a movie and handed it to Jeonghan. He grinned at the case and gave his son a knowing look.

"I had a feeling we would watch something to do with The Avengers."

He set the movie up and joined Seungcheol on the couch. The twins each took a snack and sip from their juice boxes before moving to the couch as well. Seungcheol held his arms out, ready to welcome Seokmin into his lap, but to his and Jeonghan's surprise, the seven-year old climbed into Jeonghan's lap and easily rested his head back against the other's chest. Jeonghan, not wanting to make any sudden movements, slowly turned his head to Seungcheol who merely shrugged, not having an answer for his son's sudden change in behavior. Seokmin was a cuddly child, but was timid around strangers. It took him months before he would even hold Joshua's hand. However, he seemed at ease with Jeonghan. It was a wonderful sight to see and Seungcheol couldn't be happier. However, the surprises weren't over yet.

Wonwoo sat between them, wanting to be close to his father and Seokmin, but instead of leaning against Jeonghan, Wonwoo rested his head on Seungcheol's arm. Seungcheol had to swallow the lump threatening to grow in his throat. Like Jeonghan, he forced himself still, not wanting to make any sudden moments in case it scared Wonwoo. They stayed that way throughout the movie and Seungcheol's heart raced when he felt Jeonghan's hand reach across and grab his. They truly felt like a family in that moment, and Seungcheol reminded himself to buy Joshua a very expensive and very nice Christmas and birthday present.

Chapter Text

One thing Jeonghan quickly learned about Seungcheol was that he often brought his work home with him. He had a big heart that he wore on his sleeve and whether he was working in the dispatch office or as a floater, his work often weighed on him. Today was no different. Jeonghan was putting on his shoes in the foyer, getting ready to pick the twins up from school when the front door opened and Seungcheol shuffled in looking worse for wear. His eyes were rimmed with red and held unshed tears. He looked like hell and Jeonghan was taken aback.

"Cheol, are you okay?" Jeonghan asked carefully.

He watched as Seungcheol swallowed hard, most likely trying to keep his emotions at bay. "Yeah, I'm okay." He finally answered. He eyed the keys in Jeonghan's hand. "Are you going to pick up the boys?"

Jeonghan nodded. He wanted to push further. It was clear Seungcheol was lying. He wasn't okay, but they didn't know each other that well for him to push. If he pushed him too hard, he could lose him and that was the last thing he wanted. For now, he would let Seungcheol pretend until he was ready to tell him.

"Can I come along?" Seungcheol asked almost shyly.

"Of course," Jeonghan answered without hesitation.

The car ride was mostly silent, the only sounds that could be heard were coming from the radio that was playing a random idol song from the station Seokmin liked listening to. Jeonghan would look over at Seungcheol when he could and would find the other staring blankly out the window, watching the world pass him by. Used to, when Kyunheon would act this way, it meant he was upset with Jeonghan and wanted him to figure it out and fix it all on his own. It used to make him anxious beyond all reason and led him to overthink others' body language, but he had healed enough over the years not to take Seungcheol's current attitude personally. He knew it had nothing to do with him. It most likely stemmed from work and the other simply needed time to process. Jeonghan could gladly give him that.

They stopped at Seokmin's school first as it was the closest. Seungcheol stepped out of the car to greet his son as he ran out of the gate with Soonyoung. Seokmin eagerly ran into his father's arms and Seungcheol held him tight, as if he was going to disappear if he let go. The child let it happen for a few moments until he began to squirm. However, Seungcheol still didn't let go.

"Daddy, I can't breathe!" Seokmin squeaked out.

Seungcheol immediately released his grip, mumbling an apology as he helped his son into the backseat. Once he was sure Seokmin was safely buckled in, he resumed looking out the window as they headed to Wonwoo's school. The older twin got into the car without much fuss as he usually did. The children carried on quiet conversations about their day, sensing the tension from the front seat. When they returned home, they didn't have to be told twice when Jeonghan suggested they go play in their room. Once the boys were safely in their room, Jeonghan held his hand out in front of Seungcheol. The other stared at his hand before looking up at him. Jeonghan gave him a gentle smile.

"Come on, you need some rest." He said softly. "The boys are safe in their room."

It was enough to coax Seungcheol off the couch as he took his hand, letting himself be led to Jeonghan's room. If he had the energy, he would have felt shy and embarrassed by being in the other man's room, but he barely paid the thought any mind as he was gently pushed onto the bed. Jeonghan slid in next to him and wrapped his arms around him, holding him close. Seungcheol nearly crumbled at that moment. Jeonghan was applying the right amount of pressure against him to ground him and as always, he smelt so nice. He found himself relaxing bit by bit, trying to follow along with the other's gentle breathing.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Jeonghan whispered in his ear.

It took everything in him not to shiver. He thought through it for a moment before nodding. He took a deep breath before beginning.

"I've worked in the dispatch office for six years now. Some calls are worse than others, but they're manageable, but not this one. I won't ever forget this one." He whispered. He closed his eyes tight as if trying to shut the painful memory out. Jeonghan ghosted his hand along his arm, a subtle reminder that he was there.

"A little girl called. Her name was Soojung. Yoo Soojung. She was the same age as Seokmin and Wonwoo. She wasn't in school today because she had a cold. Her mom had stepped out for no more than twenty minutes to get her medicine and ingredients for a soup. Someone had broken into their home. Soojung hid under the bed and called 119. I stayed on the line with her the entire time as I tried to dispatch officers to her location as quickly as I could. I tried to keep her calm enough to stay quiet, but it was no use. He found her."

Seungcheol paused, tears starting to fall down his face. "He killed her." He choked out. "I heard the entire thing. I heard that little girl take her final breath. We were too late to save her."

Jeonghan was at a loss for words. He just held Seungcheol close as he sobbed against his chest. He could only imagine what he was feeling. The mere thought of Wonwoo or Seokmin being in her place was enough to make Jeonghan's stomach churn. He didn't know how Seungcheol managed to continue working dispatch, but he respected him, admired him even. Finally, Seungcheol calmed down enough and he looked up at Jeonghan with watery eyes. He sniffed.

"Thank you." He whispered.

"Any time," Jeonghan answered, tucking a piece of hair behind the other's ear.

He didn't expect the next move. Seungcheol leaned over and attached their lips. The kiss was chaste, but tender and sweet. Jeonghan could taste the salt from Seungcheol's tears. Their lips moved softly against one another's, relishing in the comfort of one another. Seungcheol eventually pulled away and adverted his eyes.

"Sorry. I wanted our first kiss to be different, nicer."

Jeonghan gently tilted the other's chin so he was looking at him again. "That's okay. There will be more."

He kissed his nose. "Stay here. I'll take care of the boys tonight."

Seungcheol tried to push himself off the bed in protest. "I can't let you do that."

Jeonghan lightly pushed him back down on the mattress. "You can and will. It'll be okay." He brushed Seungcheol's bangs away from his forehead. "I'll be back with your dinner."

He moved to the kitchen and began the work of making dinner. He kept it simple, knowing Seungcheol needed it. When he called the twins in, his first obstacle presented itself. The boys entered the room hand in hand, but Seokmin kept glancing around the room seeming uneasy as he took his seat at the table. He kept glancing at Jeonghan and then back down at his food. On the fourth round of this, he finally felt brave enough to ask the question he had been meaning to.

"Where's Daddy?"

"He's not feeling well, so he's resting," Jeonghan answered, trying to not cause Seokmin to worry.

Regardless, the little boy frowned, but he seemed to understand. His daddy often came home from work sad. He assumed it was one of those times.

"I'm going to draw him a picture after dinner," Seokmin said with a look of determination. "He always smiles at my pictures."

"I'll help." Wonwoo volunteered.

Jeonghan smiled at them. They had good sons.

A couple of hours later, Seungcheol was fed, and the boys were put to bed. Jeonghan returned to his room with the promised picture in his hand. He handed it to Seungcheol, who immediately smiled as he looked it over.

"Both of them made it?"

Jeonghan nodded. "They insisted they needed to."

Seungcheol's smile grew wider and fonder as he looked at it once more. "They're sweet."

"They are." Jeonghan agreed. "We're lucky to have them."

He easily slid into bed next to Seungcheol as if it was habit, second nature. Seungcheol's head found a home on Jeonghan's chest, letting the steady rhythm of the other man's heartbeat lull him into a calm sleep. It only lasted for an hour as he was awoken by Seokmin's scream. Seungcheol was out of bed in an instant and ran to the twins' shared room. He rushed in to find his son cradled in Wonwoo's arms, the child trying his best to comfort his brother. When he turned to look at Seungcheol, the adult could see the bags under his eyes and the exhaustion that was clear on his face. He was far too tired for a child. A seven-year-old shouldn't know exhaustion like this. Seungcheol carefully entered the room fully and kneeled in front of Wonwoo, the child's tired eyes never leaving him.

"Wonwoo, it's okay. I can take over. You've done well." He softly told him.

Wonwoo looked down at the crying Seokmin in his arms before looking back at Seungcheol. "I have to help. I'm his hyung. He can't be alone again."

Seungcheol swallowed the lump in his throat. "He's not alone, Wonwoo and neither are you. We can deal with things together now, like a family."

Wonwoo spared one last look at his brother before carefully passing him over to Seungcheol. The crying boy clung to his father tightly, tears already staining through the other's shirt. Seungcheol rubbed comforting circles around his son's back, but he never ignored Wonwoo.

"You're a great hyung. You've taken such good care of Seokmin, but it's okay to let your appa or me do it instead. You're a child. You are allowed to be one."

The words must have broken something within Wonwoo, because faster than he could process, Seungcheol had two crying seven-year-olds in his arms. He wrapped strong arms around them both and held them as they cried it out. Eventually, their breathing went even as they fell back asleep and Seungcheol carefully maneuvered them back to their bed. He tucked them both in and prayed that they would stop hurting soon. They had a lot of work ahead of them, but they would get through it together, as a family.

Chapter Text

Joshua returned to Seoul a week later feeling refreshed and happier than ever. There was nothing like a spontaneous vacation to lift his spirits. However, the good feeling disappeared as he turned his Ferrari into his driveway and saw another car parked there. His eyes never left the car as he killed the engine and stepped out. Noting that Joshua had arrived, the person stepped out of the car in a well-tailored suit and neatly styled hair. Joshua recognized him instantly.

"Attorney Jung, to what do I owe the honor?" Joshua asked boredly as he retrieved his suitcase from the trunk.

Jung Hyunseok was the Hong family, dutifully serving the family for over thirty years. He was an older man, nearing sixty, but his mind was sharp as ever and he was in perfect health, which he proved as he chased Joshua around the large driveway.

"It's about Julia."

At the mention of his older sister's name, Joshua slammed the trunk as he gritted his teeth.

"If my sister has done something, that's not my responsibility. Take it up with our parents."

"I am required by law to take it up with you, Jisoo-ssi."

Joshua stared at the attorney skeptically. "Required by law?" He questioned.

The older man's eyes scanned his face for a long moment before softening. "You haven't heard, have you?"

Joshua was nearing exasperation. "Hear what?"

"We better talk inside."

Joshua reluctantly led the man inside and left his suitcase in the foyer as he plopped himself on the couch. Mr. Jung remained standing awkwardly as his eyes darted around the room. Never in his life had he seen the man so nervous. Joshua's father had hired him all those years ago because of his nerves of steel, and his ability to hold his own no matter the situation. For him to act this way was new as well as terrifying. Suddenly, Joshua felt very scared.

"What is it?" He asked, his voice softer, less demanding.

"Your sister, she died a couple of days ago." Mr. Jung revealed.

Joshua felt the blood rush to his ears, the rooming starting to spin. His only sister was dead. They may have not gotten along the last decade, but he still cared about her. She was his older sister, the person he used to tease and squabble with. The person he used to go to for advice. The person who would take his side against their father. The person who was now dead. In the early years, he had always feared hearing this exact news, but as time passed, the thought got further and further from his mind. Now, it was back, staring him right in the face, mocking him,

"How?" He managed to choke out.

Again, Mr. Jung looked nervous. "Her cause of death is undetermined at the moment."

Joshua nodded, expecting that answer. He had an idea of what happened anyway. "And our parents? They know?"

"Yes."

And they hadn't bothered to tell Joshua. Maybe they assumed he didn't care. Either way, it pained him. No matter what had happened in the past, she was still his sister. She was still a person he loved.

"However," Mr. Jung continued, "there is something they don't know that I have to tell you. According to your sister's will, she wanted you to have custody of her sons if something happened to her."

Joshua's eyes grew wide. "Sons?" He coughed. "I have nephews?"

Mr. Jung nodded. "Two of them. And once you sign these documents, you will be their legal guardian." He informed taking a stack of papers from his briefcase.

Joshua stared at him blankly. His sister was dead. She had two sons he knew nothing about. He was an uncle. He was about to become their legal guardian. It was a lot to take in. He swallowed hard.

"And if I don't sign the documents?" He asked.

"Then they remain in foster care unless they're adopted. Although, those boys have been through enough. I wouldn't recommend doing that."

Joshua blinked a couple of times. He had planned to live his life alone with the comfort of his friends and their children. He liked his life the way it was now and he didn't want that to change, but these boys were his nephews regardless if he had met them or not. Julia had trusted him with them. That had to account for something. So, swallowing his fear, he reached for the stack of documents.

"Okay, I'll do it."

The next month went by in a blur and Joshua found himself freaking out with each passing second. He had agreed to become a parent without actually knowing what all that entailed, so he started by doing what knew best, he went shopping. His house was large and he had at least four spare rooms he didn't know what to do with. He decided to distract himself by making up two of the rooms for the kids. He had visited them a couple of times, but they were shy and it was difficult to get anything out of them. On his seventh visit, they had finally revealed their favorite colors, dark blue and green. It wasn't a lot to work with, but it was a start. He started with necessities such as beds, clothes, and other small furniture. Then, he moved to toys, unsure of what they liked, so he bought a bit of everything. He was thankful his card had no limit as he swiped it without looking at the total. He was sure he didn't want to know.

He busied himself for the next week by making up the rooms and child-proofing the house by putting up breakables and trading expensive materials for cotton or something similar. When it was all said and done, he was pleased by his hard work, but it didn't take away the bundle of nerves resting in the pit of his stomach. He knew he was in over his head. He had only babysat, he was nowhere near ready to become a parent and that was what the two boys needed, a parent. However, he ran out of time to prepare when his doorbell rang one late morning. There, stood Mr. Jung, the boys, and their caseworker. They greeted Joshua before shuffling in. The boys were quiet as they took the place in, obviously amazed and nervous.

Joshua spoke easily with the adults, giving the children time to adjust. However, when Mr. Jung and the caseworker left, the three were left in awkward silence. Joshua cleared his throat and tried to put on his most comforting smile.

"Seungkwan, Chan, would you guys like to see your rooms?"

Seungkwan stared up at him, eyes wide. "We each get one?" He asked, his little voice full of wonder.

"Of course, unless you wanted to share."

Seungkwan didn't answer as he grabbed his brother's hand with one hand and Joshua's with the other. "Can we please see them?"

"Of course."

Joshua led them up the stairs and opened the door to Chan's room first. It was painted white with green trim. His bed sat in the middle on top of a cute dinosaur rug Joshua found by luck. Toys surrounded the room on shelves and boxes. The four-year-old's eyes lit up at the sight.

"Mine!" He squealed as he went to jump on the bed. "Mine!"

"Channie! You can't jump on the bed!" Seungkwan scolded, sounding very much like an older brother.

The little boy pouted but halted his jumping. He looked over at Joshua. "Mine?" He asked.

"Yours," Joshua reassured.

Chan giggled as he hugged the teddy on the bed. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome, Chan." He turned to Seungkwan. "You ready to see yours?"

The five-year-old nodded and tugged Joshua, indicating he wanted to go. Joshua looked back at Chan one last, deeming it okay to leave him alone in his new room for a few minutes. He opened the door to Seungkwan's room which was just across the hall. It was similar to Chan's except his had blue trimming and he had a cloud rug under his bed. Seungkwan let go of Joshua's hand as he fully entered the room, taking it all in.

"Thank you." He said voice full of more emotion than Joshua knew a child to have. "I love it."

Joshua had to choke back his own tears. "I'm glad you like it."

Deciding to let the boys have time to get settled, Joshua headed to his own room and immediately grabbed his phone from the nightstand. He clicked the first contact and didn't even wait for a greeting when they answered.

"Help, I'm a father." He blurted.

"Wow, you worked fast in Phuket." Jeonghan retorted.

"I hope you explained to her that you don't do romantic relationships." Seungcheol teased next.

He should have known they'd be together. However, he reminded himself that was a good thing. He needed both of them and their advice. They were the only parents he knew other than his own.

"No, seriously. I'm a father now." He took a deep breath. "My sister, Julia, she apparently had two sons and then she died and according to her will, I'm their legal guardian. They arrived today and I'm seriously in over my head here."

"Okay, Shuji, start by taking another deep breath," Seungcheol advised.

His voice was deep, calm, and soothing due to his years of working as a dispatcher. It worked as Joshua breathed again, willing himself to be calm.

"Okay, I'm as calm as I'm going to get."

"You're doing great, Shua." Jeonghan encouraged. "Now, listen to me carefully. Everything will be okay. It's scary at first, but you're strong and capable. Julia thought so too, otherwise she wouldn't have made this kind of decision." He pointed out.

Joshua relaxed a bit. Jeonghan was right. He was chosen for a reason. He could prove that he could handle it.

"Right," He breathed out. "I just hadn't expected any of this. Until a month ago, I didn't even know I had nephews and now I'm their parent. It doesn't seem right."

"It's tough," Seungcheol sympathized, "but it'll all work out. I know it will."

"Thank you," Joshua said, nearly close to tears. He had amazing friends. He was going to have to spoil them with gifts this Christmas.

"So, tell us about them!" Jeonghan prompted eagerly.

Joshua found himself smiling. "The oldest is Seungkwan. He's five and the most adorable thing you've ever seen. The youngest is Chan. He's four and already seems like a little ball of energy. The first thing he did was jump on the bed."

"Aw!" Jeonghan cooed. "They sound so adorable. I can't wait to meet them. We should should set up a get-together soon."

"I'd like that."

"Oh, can we turn the camera on?" Seungcheol asked. "The boys want to say hi."

Joshua readily agreed and seconds later, his screen was full of the faces of two over-excited seven-year-olds. Joshua still couldn't believe Seokmin and Wonwoo were twins, but the more he looked at them the more he realized just how similar they were. They were nearly identical except for a few small details such as the mole on Seokin's cheek and his nose that was slightly sharper. Joshua didn't know why he hadn't seen the similarities before, but now it was all he could see.

"Wow, I must have overdone it Phuket if I'm seeing double." He joked.

Seokmin playfully pouted. "Silly Shua, it's Seokmin and Wonwoo. You're a bad eye doctor."

Joshua laughed loudly, hearing Seungcheol and Jeonghan doing the same. He talked to the boys for a while longer, feeling better by the minute. It wouldn't be easy, but he could do it, for the boys, for Julia, and for himself.

Chapter Text

It had been three months since Jeonghan and Seungcheol started living together. It was going smoothly and their sons seemed happier than ever, but there was still a lot to adjust to, especially Seungcheol's job. It was fine when he worked out of the dispatch office, but it was when he worked as a floater in the firehouse that it became troublesome. The first twenty-four-hour shifts were rough as Seokmin nearly made himself sick from how hard he cried whenever his father left, but after the first three shifts, Jeonghan and the boys adjusted. Seokmin still cried when Seungcheol would go, but he calmed down quicker and was less agitated.

They were able to set a routine on those days to make it easier for Seokmin and as well as Jeonghan. Seungcheol would take the boys to school that morning before his shift started so he could spend time with them. Then, around five, he would video call to check in and allow Seokmin to see and hear him. It seemed to help as the boy didn't cry when the call ended anymore. He simply smiled and resumed playing with or talking to Wonwoo. This time was no different except for the fact that dinner came and went and there was still no video call from Seungcheol. Concern bubbled in Jeonghan's chest, but he forced it down. Seoul was a large city with all kinds of emergencies. Chances were he was busy on a call and would call when he could. It was enough to push the concern aside for now, but Seokmin wasn't as easily convinced.

After dinner, the boys sat on the couch watching a movie, another Avengers movie as Wonwoo kept choosing them during their movie nights and his eyes never left the screen until the movie was over. Jeonghan sat on the end, occasionally glancing down at his phone, checking for any sort of notification. It was nearing seven now and there was still no word from Seungcheol. His shift wouldn't end until nine the next morning. The concern was bubbling to the surface. He admired Seungcheol and the job he did, but it set his nerves on edge. Being a firefighter came with a risk and with each burning building he walked into, there was a great chance he wouldn't walk back out. It scared Jeonghan to no end.

They were still a new couple, but they had two young sons to think about. What would happen to Seokmin if something happened to Seungcheol? He couldn't bear the thought, nor was he completely sure. It made him realize they still had plenty to discuss. He wasn't sure if he would even be told if something did happen to Seungcheol. Had he been listed as an emergency contact? Or had Seungcheol not thought that far either? Even though he didn't regret his decision one bit, the spontaneity of his actions was starting to weigh on him and give him a headache. He was brought out of his thoughts by Seokmin crawling into his lap. The younger had been showing more affection to Jeonghan lately by clinging to his hand on their walks to the store or cuddling next to him. It was nothing new for Seokmin to climb into his lap, but what came out his mouth next was.

"Appa, where's Daddy?"

Jeonghan froze momentarily. Seokmin just called him Appa—not Jeonghan Hyung or Hannie Hyung, but Appa. Tears threatened to well in his eyes, but he knew if he cried now, it would scare Seokmin, and he would most likely never call him Appa again. So, after swallowing a couple of times, he managed to give the boy an answer.

"At work. He has one of his long shifts again. He'll be back tomorrow."

Seokmin frowned and Jeonghan resisted the urge to squish his little cheeks. The little boy had the cutest expressions. "But he calls before dinner. Why didn't he call?"

Jeonghan rubbed a comforting hand along Seokmin's back. "He's probably just busy. He'll call when he can."

However, the boys' bedtime came and went and there was still no word from Seungcheol. No call or text, just radio silence. Jeonghan kept telling himself not to worry, that there was no need for this much concern. Like he told Seokmin, Seungcheol was probably busy, but as the night stretched on, Jeonghan's fear grew. His mind kept conjuring up the worst. What if he had been trapped in a fire and no one could get him out? What if something collapsed on him, trapping him? What if....what if....what if. It was never-ending and Jeonghan was almost making himself sick. A scream from the twins' room had him on his feet faster than lightning. He scooped up the sobbing Seokmin and sat on his bed as he held him. A bit groggy, Wonwoo sat up and watched the two of them.

"Appa?" He called out.

With his free hand, Jeonghan smoothed back the boy's hair. "It's okay. I've got him. You can go back to sleep."

Wonwoo looked skeptical. "Is he okay?"

Jeonghan hummed in reply. "He's nearly asleep again. It's okay, go back to sleep."

This time, Wonwoo listened to him and leaned his head back against the pillow again. He was learning to trust others with Seokmin, to let them care for him when he couldn't. He was still taking the brunt of it, but it was a start. It was something they would have to continue working with him on. Seokmin sniffled against Jeonghan's shoulder.

"Where's Daddy?" He whispered.

"Still at work. Go to sleep, he'll be home when you wake up." Jeonghan replied, hoping he wasn't making empty promises.

"Appa, stay and cuddle?" Seokmin asked.

Who was Jeonghan to say no? Besides, he needed the company. Ever since their first kiss, Jeonghan and Seungcheol had been sharing a room and bed. It felt odd to suddenly not have him there. It was harder to sleep without the other's firm arms wrapped around him or his fluffy hair tickling his chin when the other rested his head on his chest. It was at times like this that Jeonghan realized just how much he had fallen for Seungcheol.

The twins' bed was full-sized, but it barely fit the three of them. Jeonghan squished himself between the two seven-year-olds, holding onto Seokmin tightly. Even sound asleep, Wonwoo had managed to place a small hand on his father's arm, an action that nearly made Jeonghan combust from how cute it was. With the children's soft and easy breathing, Jeonghan found himself being lulled to sleep.

He was woken up the next morning by a hand gently caressing his face. His eyes snapped open to be met with Seungcheol's smiling face. Jeonghan's heart leaped in his chest. He left the bed and hugged the other tightly.

"You're home." He breathed out along his neck.

"I'm home," Seungcheol confirmed as he wrapped his arms tightly around Jeonghan's waist.

"You didn't call."

Seungcheol's hands smoothed along his back. "I know, I'm so sorry. The firehouse was crazy. There were five car accidents, three house fires, and a cat stuck in a tree. I kept passing out in my bunk until the next alarm sounded, but I should have still called. I'm sorry."

Jeonghan shook his head the best he could cradled against Seungcheol's broad chest. "I'm just happy to have you home safely. Seokmin and I were so worried."

At the mention of Seokmin, Jeonghan paused. Seungcheol was home which meant it was after nine. He lifted his head from the other's chest and stared up at him with panicked eyes.

"The boys!"

Seungcheol gave him a gentle smile. "They're downstairs eating. They woke up first, and you looked so peaceful sleeping. I hated to wake you up, so I let you sleep a little longer, " he explained.

Jeonghan's panic hadn't completely vanished yet. "But school, they're late."

Seungcheol began to laugh as he cupped Jeonghan's cheek. "Hannie, it's Saturday."

A blush dusted his cheeks. "Oh." He said dumbly.

"You're a mess without me, huh?" Seungcheol teased.

Jeonghan lightly hit his chest. "Shut up." He then grabbed the other's hand. "Come on, we better get some breakfast before there's no food left."

Seungcheol let himself be led. "Anything interesting happen while I was gone?"

Jeonghan smiled widely as he remembered yesterday. "Seokmin called me Appa." He revealed.

Seungcheol's eyes widened, "Really?"

Jeonghan nodded. "It was so casual too. He just cuddled against me and called me that. I was dumbstruck for a solid minute."

"Wow, it took Seokmin a year to stop calling me Hyung."

Jeonghan smirked. "So, what I'm hearing is that I win."

"It's not a competition!"

"I still win."

"You're impossible."

"But you love me."

Seungcheol's face turned serious as Jeonghan came to the realization of what had come out of his mouth. He stammered for a second, trying to backtrack, but Seungcheol wouldn't let him.

"I do." He stated firmly. "I do love you. Maybe it's a bit early and crazy to say that, but I don't care. I love you, Yoon Jeonghan."

Jeonghan had all of the breath knocked out of him. He felt dizzy and warm all at the same time. As he stared into Seungcheol's eyes, he realized he loved him too. The time they had spent together had helped him fall in love. They leaned in for a long and tender kiss full of more emotion than either could process. When they finally pulled away, Seungcheol looked at him with a small smirk.

"Now I win."

Jeonghan fake gasped. "Was that all just a play?"

"Partly but," He leaned down for another kiss. "All of it was true."

They were still playfully bickering as they joined their sons in the kitchen. It made the twins laugh and they spent breakfast in a gleeful mood, happy to have everyone home and together.

Chapter Text

Seokmin woke up to sunlight shining in his eyes. He squinted as he sat up, a little dazed and groggy. It was the first time in years that he slept through the night without nightmares. He was happy and proud of himself. His excitement only escalated when he remembered what day it was. He nudged Wonwoo, who was sound asleep beside him. His brother groaned and rolled over, pulling the blanket closer to himself.

"Minnie, I want to sleep." He whined.

Seokmin continued to nudge him. "How can you sleep when it's Christmas?" Seokmin asked in disbelief. "Don't you want to see our presents from Santa?"

Even half asleep, Wonwoo was kind enough not to tell his twin that he no longer believed in Santa. He just shrugged as he tried to fall back asleep, however, Seokmin was relentless.

"Hyung! Wake up! What if you got the new Pokemon game?" He tried.

It was enough to perk Wonwoo up and he sat up, trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes. His brother watched him excitedly and when Wonwoo finally left the bed, he attached himself to his hand as they walked downstairs. Seokmin was confused when instead of heading to the living room where the Christmas tree and presents were, Wonwoo led them to the kitchen. The older twin carefully poured milk for them and got them each a slice of bread as they sat at the table. He knew that if he didn't do something, Seokmin would get too excited and forget to eat breakfast. Seokmin wasn't completely pleased, but couldn't argue when his stomach grumbled either. He began to eat, practically vibrating from excitement. He pointed to the counter where they had left a plate of cookies they baked the night before. The plate was now empty much to Seokmin's delight.

"Look, Hyung! Santa ate the cookies!" He exclaimed. "I hope he liked them."

Wonwoo smiled at his twin. "I bet he did."

He wondered which of their fathers ate them in the middle of the night. His bet was Seungcheol.

Once they had finished eating their breakfast, they headed upstairs to wake their fathers. Seokmin moved to the left side of the bed where Seungcheol was sleeping peacefully. Seokmin crouched down and with a small finger, began to poke Seungcheol's cheek.

"Daddy!" Seokmin called as he continued to poke his dad.

Finally, Seungcheol's eyes fluttered open and he smiled when he saw his son's face. "Good morning, Min."

"It's Christmas, Daddy!" Seokmin exclaimed.

"So it is."

Next to them, Wonwoo was lightly tapping Jeonghan, but the other didn't even do as much as stir. Seokmin shook his head.

"That's not how you do it, Silly. Watch."

Before anyone could stop him, Seokmin climbed over Seungcheol and seated himself directly on Jeonghan's stomach as he squeezed the adult's cheeks in his small hands.

"Appa! Wake up! It's Christmas!"

"I'm up." Jeonghan wheezed out.

Satisfied, Seokmin got up and took Wonwoo's hand as they ran downstairs, more like Seokmin ran as he dragged Wonwoo along. They sat patiently under the Christmas tree as they waited for their fathers to come downstairs. Five minutes later, both Seungcheol and Jeonghan were sleepily sat on the couch, ready to watch their sons tear into presents. Seokmin began the task of handing out presents. He started with the ones he and Wonwoo had made and wrapped themselves. Jeonghan's was a mug that Wonwoo made in school and Seokmin helped him paint. On one side, in Wonwoo's careful handwriting, was Jeonghan's name. On the other side, in Seokmin's quick handwriting was the word appa. Jeonghan nearly teared up but held it together as he thanked the boys and hugged them. Seungcheol's was a keychain with a photo of the twins. The photo was taken by Seungcheol himself during a weekend when they went to an amusement park. He had mentioned it was his favorite photo, so with Jeonghan's help, they made the keychain.

"Now, you can always have us with you, Daddy." Seokmin proudly told him.

Seungcheol smiled fondly at them, tears threatening to form in his eyes as well. "Thank you. I'll treasure it always." He promised.

The rest of the morning was spent opening the rest of the presents under the tree. The boys received a multitude of toys and games, Jeonghan and Seungcheol unable to hold back on their first Christmas together. The last present the boys opened was addressed to both of them. They both tore at the wrapping paper to find a box. Inside were two necklaces, two pieces of a whole. They connected by a magnet. Their fathers had seen it in a store and knew it was the perfect gift for them. They were proved correct when Seokmin's face lit up, discovering the magnetic mechanic. He held the other one out toward his brother.

"Hyung, let's put them on!"

Wonwoo leaned over to allow Seokmin to put the necklace on him. He did the same for him and Seokmin giggled as he connected their necklaces.

"Now we'll never be apart again!" He cheered.

"Yeah," Wonwoo choked out, overcome with emotion.

While the twins were distracted by their necklaces and new toys, Seungcheol shyly handed Jeonghan a small wrapped box.

"I know we agreed no presents for each other, but I couldn't help myself." He admitted.

Jeonghan gently took the box from him and unwrapped it to find expensive couple bracelets, a set he had seen on display in a store he often passed. Seungcheol had paid more attention than he realized. The thought warmed his heart as he put one on and put the other on Seungcheol.

"Thank you, it's perfect. I love it."

He leaned in like he was about to kiss Seungcheol when an exclamation from Seokmin interrupted them.

"It's snowing!" He turned to the adults. "Can we go play in it? Pretty pretty pretty please!"

Unknowingly, Wonwoo held his breath. He knew Seungcheol and Jeonghan would rather die than yell at them, but it didn't stop the fear growing within him either. The last time Seokmin had asked for something, their mother abandoned them in the park. He knew it wouldn't happen here, but he didn't relax until he saw Seungcheol and Jeonghan smile.

"Of course," Jeonghan answered.

"However, you guys have to wear coats, gloves, and scarves. Don't want you guys to get sick on Christmas." Seungcheol added.

"Deal!" Seokmin cheered.

Within twenty minutes, all four of them were bundled and ready to go outside in the fresh snow. Seokmin and Wonwoo went to a corner of the backyard and started the task of building a snowman. Unfortunately, not enough snow had fallen and stuck yet so the snowman was very small, only a couple of inches tall. Regardless, Seungcheol showered them with praises as Jeonghan took pictures. After taking what must have been over a hundred photos taken on his phone, Jeonghan smirked with a devious plan. He slid his hand along the brick wall of the backyard, collecting snow in his gloved hand. He called out to Seungcheol who was still watching the twins.

"Cheol?"

The moment Seungcheol turned around, he was met with a snowball straight to his face. Stunned, it took Seungcheol several moments to process before acting. He quickly scooped up some snow to make a snowball bigger than the one Jeonghan had made. He then began chasing his boyfriend around the backyard, trying to find his perfect opportunity for revenge. Wonwoo and Seokmin joined in, giggling and pelting their fathers with small snowballs. Before long, it had turned out into a full war and before long, all four of them were covered in snow. Jeonghan suggested they call it a day with the promise of hot chocolate and a Christmas movie. An hour later, the four of them were curled up together on the couch, watching The Polar Express. It was their first Christmas together as a family and to both fathers' relief, it was more than perfect.

Chapter Text

Joshua was exhausted. Never in his life had he been so exhausted. When he was in university, he used to pull several all-nighters a week just to study so he could pass his exams. He would show up to classes with an americano full of espresso shots that were sure to stop his heart. That level of exhaustion couldn't compare to what he was feeling now. When he babysat, things were simple. He could play with the kid or watch TV for a couple of hours until their parent returned. On the odd chance they stayed the night, like Seokmin, it was still manageable. It was always simple enough for Joshua to handle it. This was nothing like that.

Chan was four years old and had limitless energy. From the time he woke up to the time he finally passed out at night, Chan was constantly running around or talking. Seungkwan was a bit calmer, but he had similar energy levels. He enjoyed singing and dancing and would often host little karaoke parties in the living room. Joshua was happy to see them so happy and comfortable in their new home, but he wished there was an easier way to do things which was why he called Jeonghan and Seungcheol for help. After teasing him for a bit, the couple agreed to come over and help and offer advice. They offered to invite their friends as well, as they had children around the boys' age and could provide help as well. Joshua readily agreed, eager to get as much help as he could get.

So, he shouldn't have been surprised when his doorbell rang twenty minutes past noon, but he still felt unprepared as he rushed to answer it. There, standing on his porch was a group of people and Joshua felt too tired to even process. He vaguely remembered that Jeonghan and Seungcheol were inviting their friends, but his tired brain just wasn't computing the mass of people looking back at him. Regardless, he invited them in before he fell asleep attached to the front door.

"Sorry for the mess." He started, just as Chan let out a rather loud playful squeal from upstairs. "And the noise." He added.

Jeonghan chuckled as he eyed the ceiling. "He sounds happy." He noted.

Joshua managed a smile. "He is. He's very happy." He said just in time for Chan to let out another large squeal.

"You look like you're about to pass out," Seungcheol observed. "I'll make us some coffee."

If Joshua had the energy to lift his arms, he would have hugged his friend at that moment. Instead, he used what little energy he did have to observe all of the people in his house. Jeonghan seemed to catch on and he jumped into action.

"Joshua, these are my friends Jihoon and Mingyu and their son Hansol. He's the same age as Seungkwan." He introduced.

Joshua greeted them and offered Hansol a fist bump before looking at the other three people he didn't know.

"They are Seungcheol's friends, Junhui and Minghao, and their son Soonyoung."

Soonyoung walked forward. "I'm a tiger!" He announced.

Joshua laughed, finding the little boy cute. "Woah, you're a very cute tiger." He praised.

Soonyoung blushed but seemed pleased by the statement as he returned to his fathers' sides. Junhui looked up at Joshua almost apologetically.

"Sorry, he's going through a tiger phase right now, ever since he saw that one documentary on the Discovery Channel."

"At least we hope it's a phase," Minghao muttered lowly.

"Uncle Shua!" Came a small voice. "We're here too!"

Joshua looked over to see Seokmin holding Wonwoo's hand. He smiled at the twins and wrapped them both in a quick hug.

"You are here." He confirmed. "I'm happy to have you both over at the same time."

"Coffee is ready," Seungcheol announced, bringing a tray of mugs over to the table.

"Seokmin, Wonwoo, remember the room you used to stay in when we'd have slumber parties?" Joshua asked.

They nodded and Joshua continued. "Can you show it to Hansol and Soonyoung? I turned it into a playroom for Seungkwan and Chan. They're up there right now and I'm sure they'd love to make new friends."

Seokmin, always excited to play with friends and his brother, quickly led the others up the stairs, leaving the adults alone downstairs. Joshua immediately collapsed into one of his dining chairs with a long sigh. Jihoon watched him with a small smirk.

"I never seen someone look so tired in Gucci." He stated.

"I've never seen someone wear Gucci so casually around the house," Minghao added on.

Jeonghan waved them off. "You get used to him doing weird things."

Seungcheol nodded in agreement. "I once witnessed him fly to Paris for breakfast because he didn't want to go grocery shopping."

Joshua groaned. "Can we reminisce about my oddities later? Maybe after I've had a full eight hours of rest?"

Everyone found that to be fair, so Jeonghan took the lead and switched the topic.

"So, how are Seungkwan and Chan adjusting?"

Joshua sat up a bit. "Chan seems to really like it here, but he has trouble falling and staying asleep at night, and I know it's bad, but it's why I let him run around during the day. I always hope it will make him tired enough."

"We had the same trouble with Soonyoung when he was five" Junhui started. "I was like you, ready to let him run it out, but Minghao's mom advised us to set a firm bedtime routine for him so his body can adjust to a sleep cycle. In time, his body with naturally start to get tired when it's supposed to." He explained.

"Chan and Seungkwan have been through a lot from what I hear," Minghao added. "They both need routine so they can adjust properly and you can get sleep."

Joshua took the advice and stored it for later use. "Thank you."

The couple only smiled. "We've been where you are before."

"So, what about Seungkwan?" Jeonghan pressed on. "Is he adjusting okay?"

Joshua shrugged. "Kinda. He plays and laughs like Chan does, but I can tell it's different. He's a bit more reserved. I don't think he's allowing himself to trust me just yet, which I can understand. He keeps asking me about their mother too. I don't know what to tell them."

Mingyu smiled sympathetically. "That sounds tough. I'm sorry."

Joshua smiled back as Jihoon started to speak. "You'll have to tell them the truth eventually. They deserve to know." He pointed out.

Joshua sighed. "I know and they do, but I don't want them to remember their mother that way. Hell, I don't want to remember her that way." He stirred his coffee absentmindedly. "Julia went through a lot. When she was fourteen, we suddenly moved to LA. We had lived there as babies, but we were raised here in Seoul. We both hated the sudden change, but Julia most of all. She fell in with the wrong people and started taking pills. We were never sure what they were, but she was almost always high. She stole thousands from our parents and tried to run away, but our parents dragged her back and we moved back to Seoul. She took off again and this time, they didn't chase after her. Instead, they disowned her and I never saw my big sister again."

Joshua inhaled a shaky breath. "I don't know what kind of mother she was to Seungkwan or Chan, but I want to give her a chance and give them a nice memory. They deserve that much." He concluded.

Seungcheol laid a gentle hand on top of his. "You're a good person, Shua. It was why she chose you." He reminded him. "I know it doesn't seem like it and I know you're exhausted, but you're doing well. Those boys sound so happy and I know they're well-loved."

"They are." Joshua choked out.

Jeonghan rested his hand on top of Seungcheol's. "You've got this Shuji. Besides, you're not alone."

As Joshua's eyes scanned around the table and he took in the supportive expressions surrounding him, he felt warm a bit hopeful, knowing he had gained a family.

If it was one thing Joshua Hong knew how to do, it was shop. It was something he did no matter his mood or the weather. He could be depressed on the sunniest day or elated during a thunderstorm. No matter, Joshua would be shopping. Now that he had two more people to shop for, his hobby/addiction only escalated. It led to the overfill that was now deemed the playroom. It was full of every toy imaginable as well board games, video games, and a streaming service full of children's shows and movies. It was a child's paradise and was, without a doubt, Chan and Seungkwan's favorite room. They spent the majority of their time there, which led to another problem that Joshua was going to have to address later.

"Woah!" Seokmin exclaimed as he entered the room hand in hand with Wonwoo. "This room is so cool!"

Soonyoung rushed in behind the twins, instantly going for a large tiger plushie sitting in the corner. Hansol followed in behind them and quietly sat himself on the floor. Seungkwan and Chan, who had been playing happily in their own world, suddenly stopped as they cautiously observed the four intruders. Unsure and nervous around strangers, Seungkwan backed himself against the wall and pulled his little brother along with him. Nobody ever wanted to play with them. It was better to go away before they made them. However, Chan couldn't be held back for long as he took an interest in the blocks Hansol and Wonwoo were playing with, rather Hansol was playing with them while Wonwoo was simply lining them up by color. Hansol stopped building his little house as he felt eyes on him. He smiled at Chan.

"Hi. I'm Hansol. What's your name?"

Chan grinned. "Chan!"

Hansol held out a blue block. "Wanna build?"

Chan enthusiastically nodded as he reached for the block. However, before he could get it, Seungkwan stopped him.

"Channie, no!"

Chan immediately backed away and pouted at his brother. "Why not?"

Hansol frowned as well as he observed the brothers. Seokmin, who had been in his own little world with Soonyoung, suddenly turned his attention to them as well.

"I'm Seokmin and this is my brother Wonwoo." He introduced. "Sorry for suddenly playing with your toys before asking."

Seungkwan's eyes darted around the room, refusing to meet any of their eyes. It was all too much. There were too many of them and they all seemed to know each other. It reminded Seungkwan that he and Chan were still strangers in their uncle's life. The feeling of never belonging loomed heavy in his heart. He was only five but he knew of rejection all too well. He was used to people not wanting him around whether they were kids or adults. What if that was happening now? He merely shrugged as a reply to Seokmin. He didn't know what to say or do, but he knew he had to protect Chan from the feelings he dreaded. He didn't want his little brother to know of such awful feelings.

"We should all play together." Seokmin continued.

Wonwoo broke away from his task and finally looked at the duo. "You don't have to play with us, but you can." He stated gently.

Soonyoung held up the tiger plushie the best he could. "We could play animals!"

Hansol slid a green block to him. "Or you can build with me and Chan." He offered, gesturing to the youngest who had always begun to clumsily build.

Seungkwan looked at each of them in turn, considering all of his options. He hesitantly took the block from Hansol and gently added it to the house he was building. Hansol grinned and it was all teeth.

"What's your name?"

"Seungkwan."

"I heard you're five too," Hansol said.

Seungkwan nodded. Hansol's grin grew wider. "We're friends then!"

Seungkwan paused, holding a red block in mid-air. "Friends?" He repeated. He never had a friend before.

"Yeah, friends."

Seokmin turned, briefly joining the conversation once more. "We should all be friends!" He exclaimed gleefully.

Seungkwan found himself giggling as he nodded in agreement. "Friends." He confirmed, continuing to build with Hansol.

The time passed easily after that. Chan was happy in his own little world building what he claimed was a house, but looked like an unidentifiable mess to the others. Seungkwan was letting his guard down bit by bit. He and Hansol had already declared themselves best friends and Soonyoung and Seokmin seemed fun too. He didn't know much about Wonwoo other than that he was quiet and kind. Seungkwan didn't mind having him around either. He still missed his mom but maybe living with his uncle Joshua wasn't all bad either.

Chapter Text

Ever since the two small families blended together, there was hardly a time when Seokmin and Wonwoo were apart. They did everything together. Wherever one was, the other wasn't far behind. The only time they were separated was during school and Seokmin's therapy sessions. Seokmin hated those times the most but he was starting to adjust at school. He at least had Soonyoung and wasn't completely alone. Therapy wasn't all bad either. Dr. Joo was kind and her office always smelt of cookies. She always let Seokmin play with toys while they talked and even let him take an extra piece of candy to give to Wonwoo when the appointment was over.

The seven-year-old was normally in bright spirits when he rejoined Seungcheol in the waiting room an hour later, but that wasn't the case today. He shuffled out, looking tired and his eyes were red like he had been crying. Seungcheol was alarmed as he looked at his son. He held his arms out instictively and the boy leaned into the hug as he sniffed.

"Daddy, I'm tired," Seokmin mumbled against Seungcheol's shirt.

Seungcheol rubbed his back comfortingly, wondering what the hell went on in that room. "You can take a nap in the car, okay?" He promised.

Seokmin nodded. "Daddy, Dr. Joo said she wants to talk to you." He announced.

Seungcheol gulped. Something was wrong. He could feel it. He often spoke with Dr. Joo after appointments but she usually joined them in the waiting room and Seokmin was never this upset. He kept a gentle handle on his son's back.

"Okay, I'll go talk to her real quick. Will you be okay out here?"

Seokmin weakly nodded as he sat in a chair. Seungcheol gave him one last worried glance before moving to Dr. Joo's office. He knocked on the door before hearing the faint okay to come in. When he entered, he noticed that Dr. Joo seemed different as well. Normally, when they spoke, she had a small professional smile on her face that never failed to put him and Seokmin at ease, however, today there was no smile. She seemed bothered and concerned. Seungcheol's heart continued to race as he forced himself through the breathing exercises he learned during firefighter training. He sank into one of the only chairs made for an adult as he awaited what the doctor was going to tell him. She cleared her throat and looked at him for a long moment, seeming hesitant and conflicted.

"Seungcheol-ssi, I'm sorry. What I'm going to tell you is going to be hard to hear, but Seokmin has made a breakthrough."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

She nodded. "It is, but what he's told me is concerning, more than we thought."

He gulped. He knew very little about Seokmin before they met. He knew of the kidnapping and that he referred to those people as the 'bad parents' but apart from that, he was clueless. He often refused to talk about it in therapy, always trying to change the topic. The nightmares must have been so bad recently that he had to talk about it.

"They abused him in more ways than physical." She revealed. "He doesn't understand exactly what happened, but he remembers it."

Seungcheol felt sick to his stomach. He hated thinking about how much Seokmin had suffered in his short life. It wasn't fair. He deserved a happy childhood and it was something Seungcheol was determined to give him.

"Is he okay?" Seungcheol choked out, worried for his son. He had been so happy to be reunited with Wonwoo and Seungcheol had been so caught up with Jeonghan that he had neglected to see his son suffering. He felt like a horrible father.

Dr. Joo nodded, her professional slowly starting to return. "Yes, he seems to be okay. What happened to him in that house was truly awful, as he proved today, but he understands they went away and can never hurt him again. He is scared of the nightmares though."

"Yeah, they've been frequent these last few months."

"He's experienced a large shift in his life. It most likely triggered that for him." She explained.

"Is there anything I can do for him?"

He hated seeing how scared his son looked when he woke up from the nightmares. His screaming haunted Seungcheol often. The mere thought of Seokmin struggling was enough to twist the knife in Seungcheol's heart. He wanted to find a way to help him, to take the pain away from him.

"Just be there for him, especially after today. He revealed a lot today. It could make the nightmares worse." She warned.

Seungcheol nodded. "I understand. Thank you for telling me." He went to stand when Dr. Joo spoke again.

"There is one more thing." She stated.

Seungcheol sat back down and looked at her expectantly, hoping his worry wasn't entirely palpable.

"I'm worried about Seokmin's sense of individuality."

"His individuality?" Seungcheol repeated, slightly confused.

"I sometimes ask him simple questions after intense sessions to help calm and ground him and I've noticed a lot of his answers have changed lately. Normally, I wouldn't think much of it as kids change their minds all the time, but it seems to stem from his brother."

"Wonwoo?"

Dr. Joo nodded. "Wonwoo's favorite color, is it blue?"

"Yeah and Seokmin's is red."

Dr. Joo gave him a tight smile. "He told me today that his most favorite color is blue and that his favorite food is ramen."

Seungcheol instantly knew that was wrong. Seokmin loved pizza. Nothing could come close to it for him. He always asked for it. He only stopped when...they moved in Jeonghan and Wonwoo. He would then ask for ramen, which Jeonghan told him was Wonwoo's favorite food.

"I see. What should I do?"

"Well, however you go about this, you'll have to do it delicately. It's clear Seokmin adores Wonwoo and wants to be like him. A lot of siblings go through this phase, but because of their past, it is more serious for them. It won't be an easy fix, but it's important to address as they might grow to resent each other or Seokmin could lose all of his personality and it would be a lot of work to undo and build back." She warned. "I suggest you discuss this with your partner and you can start small. Each of you do a different task with Wonwoo and Seokmin. You could watch a movie with Seokmin while your partner plays with Wonwoo outside. Something like that. When Seokmin gets comfortable with that, you can graduate to outings separately, doing things that Seokmin only likes."

Seungcheol nodded, trying to take all the information in. "Thank you, Dr. Joo. I'll make sure to work on it."

Dr. Joo smiled up at him. "Try not to worry too much, Seungcheol-ssi. You're a good father and you're doing well." She praised.

Seungcheol nearly burst into tears right then and there but managed to hold it together as he bowed and left the office after thanking her once more. He found Seokmin asleep in the waiting room chair. He smiled fondly as he picked him up to carry him to the car. Seungcheol's mind was racing throughout the drive home. He was thinking through ways to help his son without causing him more suffering. He knew that Seokmin hated being away from Wonwoo any longer than he had to, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that Dr. Joo was right. Seokmin was changing himself to match his twin. He always picked out the movies Wonwoo liked, he always played the games Wonwoo enjoyed, dressed the same Wonwoo did, everything he did, he did because Wonwoo did. He was slowly losing himself and Seungcheol had failed to see it. He felt like an awful father.

Jeonghan and Wonwoo were sitting on the couch when Seungcheol entered carrying a still sleeping Seokmin. Jeonghan's face lit up seeing them and he pouted sympathetically at Seokmin.

"Long day?" He asked.

"He had a rough therapy session." Seungcheol explained.

Wonwoo turned around, face full of concern. "Is he okay?"

Seungcheol tried to give him a gentle smile to reassure him. "Yeah, he's okay. Just tired."

Wonwoo didn't seem entirely convinced, but didn't push any further, just watched as Seungcheol carried his brother upstairs to lay him down on their bed. Wonwoo, who was still trying to let adults help, struggled to sit still, knowing that something was wrong with his twin. Jeonghan, always observant when it came to his son, turned to him.

"You can go to him." He told him gently. "He'll most likely want the company."

Wonwoo didn't have to be told twice as he rushed up the stairs, passing Seungcheol on his way down. Seungcheol stopped and watched as the boy sped past him and a fond smile found its way to his face. It was true they had a lot to work on, but he was still thankful that the universe was kind enough to reunite Seokmin and Wonwoo and give Seungcheol and Jeonghan a chance.

Chapter Text

It was rare for Seungcheol to have days off. So, when the odd one did arrive, he always made sure to enjoy it the best way he could. He used to go out with friends, namely Joshua, but then Seokmin came into his life. After that, he would find ways to spend time with his son whether it was going to the park or a place Seokmin liked or even simply staying home. Now, he had two more people to think of and to spend time with. Unfortunately, not everyone's schedule could line up perfectly.

Seungcheol had the day off, but Jeonghan's day was full of zoom meetings and a stack of paperwork that Seungcheol cringed just looking at. That left him alone with the twins for the day, another rarity he didn't get to often enjoy. He had briefly considered implementing Dr. Joo's advice, but with Jeonghan unavailable, it wasn't possible. Besides, Seokmin was exhausted. As predicted, the nightmares were more frequent and worse. While it was nothing new for him to wake up screaming in the middle of the night, it was new for him to wake up more than once and continue screaming and crying for over an hour. Seungcheol was getting concerned about his son's health as well as paranoid that the noise was going to attract the neighbors to call the cops. That was the last thing they needed.

Either way, the moment the boys returned from school, Seokmin curled up on the couch and instantly fell asleep next to his father. Wonwoo, who never liked leaving his brother or being away from him too long, decided to stay in the living room with him, sitting in one of the large armchairs next to the couch. He was content with reading at first until he finished his book. He then moved to the gaming console, starting a game Seungcheol instantly recognized. It was the one Wonwoo had gotten for Christmas and lit up upon seeing. It was also the one Seungcheol had picked out for him. He had played it often as a kid and loved it. He told Jeonghan that he hoped Wonwoo could experience the same joy from it.

Wonwoo was lost to the world as he locked in on the game. Whenever Wonwoo liked something or found something interesting, he blocked out the entire world to focus on it. It was a trait Seungcheol found endearing and cute. Even now, he was watching the seven-year-old with a small fond smile. Wonwoo's face was scrunched up in concentration as he slowly figured the game out. He easily cleared the first five levels and looked pleased as he started on the sixth. Not wanting to startle him, Seungcheol kept quiet and silently cheered him on.

He was soon distracted by Seokmin waking up. The seven-year-old, who had been asleep for nearly two hours, sat up and slowly blinked. Once he processed where he was and what was going on, he scooted closer to Seungcheol on the couch. He waited for a moment before lightly poking his father's arm.

"Daddy, cuddle?" He asked.

Seungcheol practically melted as he helped Seokmin climb into his lap. The boy wrapped his arms around his father's neck and rested his head on his shoulder. Seungcheol, knowing that Seokmin was still sleepy and was most likely searching for comfort, rubbed his back as he continued to watch Wonwoo play. Within thirty minutes, Seokmin was asleep again, snoring gently onto Seungcheol's neck. Wonwoo had passed five more levels and only now was the game starting to increase in difficulty. After dying three different times, Wonwoo pouted and stared down at the controller as if he were glaring at it. Seungcheol was slightly worried he was going to cry. Thankfully, no tears fell, but Wonwoo still appeared bothered. He tried once more, chewing on his cheek and sneaking small glances at Seungcheol once in a while. When he died again, he finally turned around to face Seungcheol.

"Daddy, can you help?"

Seungcheol's hand that was rubbing Seokmin's back stilled. It was the first time Wonwoo was calling him Daddy. Seokmin had easily taken to calling Jeonghan Appa, but it was clear that the older twin was more hesitant and cautious. Seungcheol had understood and didn't take it personally. He knew that his time would come when Wonwoo was comfortable. It seemed it was finally that time. Warmth flooded his chest as he kept his emotions at bay. He carefully reached for the controller Wonwoo was holding out to him.

"Sure, Bud."

He focused all his attention on the level, making sure that Wonwoo could clearly see what he was doing. The boy's eyes were wide and attentive as they followed the avatar on the screen. It was clear he was memorizing the movements. His hands, which were resting in his lap, were pressing imaginary buttons on an imaginary controller. Seungcheol was impressed by the sight and nearly lost his focus, but he was able to beat the level. He handed the controller back to Wonwoo.

"Did that help?"

Wonwoo eagerly nodded before turning back to the TV. To Seungcheol's surprise, he replayed the level and passed it faster than Seungcheol had. He was so amazed he almost didn't notice that Seokmin was awake and talking to him.

"Hyung is smart." He boasted. "He can remember things easily. He says they're like pictures in his head."

Seungcheol didn't doubt that as he watched Wonwoo lose himself in the game once more. He helped Seokmin get to a more comfortable position on his lap now that he was awake and wanted to watch his brother play. They stayed like that until Jeonghan tiredly descended the stairs. He took in the sight before him with a small smile. Seokmin was the first to notice him as he left Seungcheol's lap and hugged Jeonghan's waist tightly.

"Appa!" He cheered. "Are you done talking to your computer?" He asked innocently.

Jeonghan laughed a bit as he smoothed back the boy's hair. "Yeah, I'm done talking to my computer." He replied.

He let Seokmin lead him to the couch and he sat down, letting Seokmin sit between him and Seungcheol. Wonwoo still had yet to notice that Jeonghan had entered the room. His father expected nothing less and turned to Seungcheol.

"So, what did I miss?"

"Your son is a genius. I helped him with a level and he instantly replayed and beat my time. It's impressive."

Jeonghan had a proud smile, one that could only belong to a father. "Yeah, he never fails to amaze me by how smart he is."

Wonwoo, who just passed the twentieth level, finally realized that there was one extra person in the room. He grinned.

"Appa, Daddy is smart and really good at the game. He helped me when I was stuck."

"Really?" Jeonghan replied.

After his son nodded, he turned to Seungcheol, who had a shy smile and a blush warming his face. They shared a knowing look, one that they both knew meant that they were truly a family. Behind Seokmin, the two's hands found one another, and they held tight as they continued to watch Wonwoo play until dinner. Seungcheol loved his job, but he was starting to love his days off more.

Chapter Text

In his short life, Wonwoo was used to being seen as a unit. It was always Wonwoo and Seokmin or Seokmin and Wonwoo. Even their own mother didn't bother to tell them apart despite them being fraternal twins with clear differences. Seokmin had a mole on his cheek. Wonwoo wore glasses. Seokmin's nose was sharper. Wonwoo's hair was a shade lighter. They also had very different personalities. Seokmin was almost always bright and energetic. He trusted others easily and still believed in Santa Claus and magic. Wonwoo was always referred to as the quiet twin, the one who was always reading or playing video games by himself in a corner of a room. As the older twin, he took his role of a hyung seriously, especially since he felt he had already failed once. He protected Seokmin, making sure that his twin was always happy and safe. Perhaps it was why it came as a shock to everyone when Wonwoo began to cry one morning and wouldn't stop.

He and Seokmin had been getting ready for school. At seven, they no longer needed assistance getting dressed, but Seokmin still asked his hyung for help every now and then. However, when he turned to his brother to ask for help with his shirt, he was taken aback to see Wonwoo crying. His hyung rarely ever cried. He was always the one to calm Seokmin when he cried. Worried, Seokmin rushed over to him.

"Hyung, what's wrong?"

He tried touching the other's shoulder but was harshly shrugged off. He could only watch as his brother cried harder and clawed at his shirt. He had no idea what to do or how to help. So, he did the only thing he could think of, he ran to their parents' room. He knew they were still in there, Seungcheol most likely getting ready for work. Jeonghan spotted him first and gave him a friendly smile that quickly vanished when he took in the frantic expression and tears on Seokmin's face.

"Seok, what is it?"

This got Seungcheol's attention who turned away from the closet to look at his son. His heart dropped when he saw the tears streaming down his face. So many scenarios were running through his head. Seokmin had another nightmare. Seokmin was hurt. Something had happened to Wonwoo. Seokmin began to cry harder when he saw his father, making both adults worry. They exchanged confused and desperate looks across the room before Seungcheol kneeled to match Seokmin's height.

"Minnie, are you hurt?" He asked carefully.

Seokmin shook his head and forced himself to take a deep breath. "Hyung," He gasped out. "Something is wrong with Wonwoo."

Within an instant, Jeonghan was out of the room. Seungcheol stayed behind with Seokmin, wiping his tears with the sleeve of his hoodie he had yet to change out of. When Seokmin had calmed down a considerable amount, Seungcheol lifted him and held him in his arms as they joined Jeonghan in the twins' room. The sight before them was difficult to take in. Wonwoo was squatted on the floor, rocking back and forth as he continued to claw at his shirt and cry uncontrollably. Jeonghan stood frozen in the middle of the room. He had never seen Wonwoo like this. He wanted to help him but wasn't sure how. He worried he would make it worse and that was the last thing he wanted.

Seungcheol, however, had an idea of what was going on. He gently set Seokmin down despite the younger's protests. He moved to the light switch and flicked the lights off before closing the curtain next to the twins' bed. The room was now bathed in darkness, but it wasn't completely dark, just enough that it was no longer overwhelming. Wonwoo's cries had died down a bit as he blinked up at Seungcheol. It wasn't completely over as he still clawed at his shirt, looking to Seungcheol helplessly. It finally clicked into place for the adult.

"Wonwo, is your shirt bothering you?" He asked softly, not letting his voice sound too loud.

Wonwoo pitifully nodded. "Itchy." He sniffed. "Smells wrong."

That was when it hit Seungcheol. Last week, they ran out of laundry soap. Seungcheol had offered to pick up some on his way home from work. Out of habit, he picked up a cheap brand, and when Jeonghan hadn't said anything, he assumed it was okay, but he was wrong. Feeling guilty, he helped Wonwoo out of the shirt and found another that hadn't been washed with the new soap yet.

"Better?" Seungcheol whispered.

Wonwoo nodded, fidgeting with his fingers. "Daddy, I'm tired." He mumbled.

Seungcheol gave him a sympathetic look. "I bet you are. Why don't you go back to bed?" He suggested.

Wonwoo looked uncertain. "But school..." He trailed off.

Seungcheol knew it was a difficult choice to make. The child was in no condition to go to school but a shift in his routine could make things worse. He had to approach this carefully.

"How about you sleep for a little bit and I'll wake you up in time to leave for school?" He tried.

It seemed to appease Wonwoo as he crawled back into bed. Seungcheol turned and led Seokmin and Jeonghan out of the room. Seokmin looked up at his father with large sad eyes.

"Is Wonwoo okay?"

All of his life, his hyung had been there for him. He never faltered, and he had never seen him sick. He wanted to help, but he didn't know how. He had never had to before. He felt like a horrible twin for not being able to be there for Wonwoo. Seungcheol could recognize his son's struggle, and he leaned down, trying to give the boy the most comforting smile that he could manage.

"He'll be okay. He just needs some time alone."

Seokmin pouted as he looked at the door. It was clear he wanted to go back in and comfort his brother, but he didn't want to make things worse for him either. Jeonghan stepped in this time, feeling just as helpless as Seokmin did.

"He'll be okay. Why don't you go downstairs and eat? I laid some food out on the table."

Seokmin looked reluctant but went downstairs anyway, leaving both adults alone in the hallway. Jeonghan turned to Seungcheol.

"How did you know what to do?"

He hated that he had frozen when his son needed him the most. He admired his boyfriend's ability to keep a level head. He supposed it was part and parcel of being a firefighter and emergency dispatcher. Seungcheol shrugged.

"My brother is autistic. He used to have meltdowns similar to that often. My parents and I learned how to deal with them."

Jeonghan took note of his words and looked back at the bedroom door before returning his attention to his boyfriend.

"Are you saying that Wonwoo is autistic?"

"Maybe. We can't know for sure, but it wouldn't hurt to test for it either."

Jeonghan nodded as he chewed the inside of his cheek. His son could be autistic and struggling. He had missed all of the signs. He had failed Wonwoo. He had failed as a father. Seungcheol laid a gentle hand on his shoulder as if he could Jeonghan's downward spiral of thoughts.

"Don't beat yourself up. It's hard to look for something you don't know. What matters is that you're aware and are taking action now. You're validating his feelings. That's more important than you could possibly realize." He told him.

He kept his gaze on Jeonghan, never once glancing away. He wanted him to hear and understand what he had to say.

"You're a great father, Jeonghan. Wonwoo and Seokmin are lucky to have you as their Appa."

It was enough for the dam to burst. Jeonghan hugged Seungcheol tightly. The other gently rubbed his back and mindlessly carded through his hair.

"It'll be okay. We'll get through it, together." Seungcheol promised.

Jeonghan could only believe him.

Chapter Text

Seungkwan knew early on that his mother wasn't a normal mother, that it wasn't normal for a mother to leave her two young sons home alone for hours on end, however, that was all he knew and despite what everyone thought, he loved his mother. She was the prettiest woman to Seungkwan and the sweet scent of her perfume which he could smell when she left at night, was his favorite. Of course, he hated the lonely nights he and his brother spent. It was always dark and cold as their mother was often behind on the bills, spending her money on other hobbies and interests such as drugs and partying. Chan always cried on those nights and almost nothing would calm him down. Most of the time, Seungkwan held his baby brother until the younger exhausted himself and passed out. Even then, he still loved his mother. When she stumbled in, high and or drunk, barely knowing who they were, he still loved her. He took care of her to the best of his ability, giving her water and turning off the lights. He would put a blanket on her wherever she had chosen to pass out that night with a kiss on her cheek. She would wake up the next morning with no memory of it and would mostly ignore her sons, but Seungkwan still loved her, adored her even.

There were times when she wasn't that way. There were times she would stay home and cook them dinner. It was never the best, but they always ate it just the same. She would play with them, helping Chan with his blocks and reading to Seungkwan. Those were his favorite nights, especially at bedtime. She would tuck them in, give them each a kiss on the forehead, and sing them a lullaby. It was in English, so they never understood it, but their mother's soft and soothing voice was all the comfort and understanding they needed. It was those moments that Seungkwan clung to when things were at their worst. When nobody wanted to be his friend, when his mother brought strange men home who hated children and were always mean to him and his brother, he reminded himself that the mother he loved and adored felt the same way.

Until the day she left and never returned. She had left like she always did, wearing a pretty party dress and makeup. Seungkwan had thought she looked like the idols he saw on TV when he got to watch it. He was too young and naive to notice the dark circles under her eyes, her dilated pupils, the discoloration of her skin, and her thin hair that was falling out in clumps. He didn't notice his mother was wasting away. With barely a glance at either of her sons, she left the small apartment, not locking the door behind her. Seungkwan, like always, waited patiently for her. He bided his time taking care of Chan, feeding him milk and bread that he could reach. He later fell asleep but attempted to keep a careful ear out for the front door. However, they were alone when they woke up the next morning. Their mother still wasn't home. Another night passed the same way and Seungkwan began to worry. He tried to think of things he could do. That was when a strange man entered their home. From his uniform, Seungkwan recognized that he was a cop. Perfect. Police officers helped people. They could find his mother.

"My mommy is missing. Can you find her?" He asked the officer.

The policeman stared at him for a long time and Seungkwan frowned. Why wasn't he doing anything? He pressed on, wanting to be helpful.

"She's tall. She has long dark hair and she was wearing a pretty purple dress."

"Are you here alone?" The officer asked.

Seungkwan shook his head. "My little brother is here too." He continued to stare at the officer. "Are you going to find our mommy?"

"Can you go get your brother? I need to take you to the police station."

Seungkwan was confused but left to get Chan anyway. He figured that was where their mother was. Maybe she had gotten confused and couldn't remember her way back home, so she went to the police for help. However, he was disappointed to see that she wasn't there. Instead, there was a very serious-looking lady who asked him and Chan a bunch of questions. That was the last time he and Chan saw their home. Now, they lived with their Uncle Joshua, someone they didn't know existed until a month ago. Their uncle was kind and always paid attention to them, but Seungkwan didn't get too comfortable. He believed their mother would return for them soon. She had just gotten confused or maybe she forgot. It didn't matter to him as long as she came back.

"Hyung, is Mommy going to pick us up?" Chan asked casually one day.

They were in the playroom. Seungkwan was coloring in a book Hansol had given him, and Chan was playing with blocks. Seungkwan stopped coloring and turned to his brother, surprised he had asked such a question. He assumed Chan had given up on their mother. He had never spoken of her until now. He shrugged.

"I don't know. I hope so."

"What about Uncle Shua? Would he be sad?"

Seungkwan hadn't thought of that. What would their uncle do if they suddenly left? He seemed to like to have them around. Would he be sad if they left? He didn't want to make his uncle sad.

"Maybe."

A beat of silence.

"Hyung, can we ask him when Mommy is coming back?"

Seungkwan lit up. Chan was a genius. They could ask their uncle when she was coming back. He had to know. Now filled with hope and excitement, Seungkwan got up from the floor and helped his little brother up as well.

"Come on, let's go ask him."

Hand in hand, they walked downstairs. They found their uncle on the couch watching TV. Seungkwan had learned that Joshua liked watching shows about food. He had tried to watch one with him once, but it was too boring and he ran up to the playroom instead. Joshua noticed the two new people in the room and he muted the television before giving them his full attention.

"Everything okay?"

"Uncle Shua, when is Mommy coming to get us?" Seungkwan blurted out.

Joshua froze and the kind smile left his face. Fear bubbled inside Seungkwan, worried he had insulted or upset his uncle. He was about to apologize when Joshua patted the space next to him on the couch.

"Come here and sit down. I need to tell you two something."

Confused, both of the children climbed up on the couch and looked at their uncle expectantly. Joshua let out a long sigh as he rubbed his eyes.

"Your mommy isn't coming to get you."

Seungkwan's heart dropped and he felt tears stinging his eyes. How could his uncle say something so mean? Their mother wouldn't forget about them. Not for long. She left often, but she always came back. Always. This time would be no different. He shook his head rapidly, causing the tears to spill from his eyes. He felt Chan grip his hand tighter and heard a tiny sniffle.

"Why?" Chan asked in a tiny voice.

"That's not true!" Seungkwan exclaimed. "She always comes back. She's coming to get. She is."

Joshua watched the pair of them with pain in his eyes. He had no idea what to do or say. This was all new to him. He knew the two were in a fragile state. He had assumed they knew that their mother was dead, but it was clear they didn't. Now, he was going to have to be the one to break it to them.

"She can't." Joshua finally said. "She's not coming to get you because she can't."

Seungkwan began to cry harder. "Why not? She always does."

Joshua hesitated. How was going to explain death to two children under the age of six?

"Do you remember the movie of the girl and doggie?" He asked.

Both Seungkwan and Chan nodded. Joshua had found his old collection of children's movies from when he and his sister were kids in the family storage building. He had been wary when Seungkwan chose All Dogs Go To Heaven from the pile and his worries were justified when both children were in tears by the end of the movie. However, he was slightly thankful for it now as he could use it as a way to get them to understand.

"The doggie left the girl," Chan stated.

Joshua nodded in confirmation. "He did. And your mommy has left like Charlie did."

Seungkwan frowned, trying to understand. "She went to Heaven?"

Joshua nodded slowly, decidedly not telling Seungkwan his opinion of where Julia actually was.

"That is why your mommy isn't coming back. She died. She didn't purposefully leave you alone." He explained.

More tears fell from both children's eyes. Joshua held them close as they cried, tears falling from his eyes as well. They sat on the couch for over an hour mourning the different Julia Hongs that they knew. 

Chapter Text

It was clear that something had to be done. After Wonwoo's meltdown, Jeonghan and Seungcheol knew they would need to make some changes. So, that was how Seungcheol and Jeonghan found themselves on their bed early one morning. It was Saturday and they usually let the kids sleep in for a couple of hours. This provided them time to talk. Seungcheol still had yet to tell his boyfriend about Seokmin's last therapy appointment as well as Dr. Joo's idea to separate the twins for a bit. Now was a good of a time than any.

"Separate them?" Jeonghan asked, sounding uncertain. "I don't think that will go over well."

He had his head resting in Seungcheol's lap, the latter, mindlessly playing with his long hair that was still tangled with sleep. Seungcheol let out a puff of air, his hand stopping their movements.

"I don't think so either, but Dr. Joo has a point, Seokmin is losing himself. He does everything Wonwoo does and Wonwoo lets him because he does everything to make Seokmin happy."

He looked down to meet Jeonghan's eyes. The other was already looking back at him with concern and adoration.

"I can't watch Seokmin lose himself nor can I stand the thought of them resenting each other when they're older." He added.

Jeonghan slightly nodded in agreement. "I know it's for the best, but it's going to upset them."

Seungcheol reached down for the other's hand. Jeonghan eagerly gave it to him and they sat like that for several silent moments as they thought through their options.

"It is." Seungcheol finally said, "But it's better than the alternative. Wonwoo is going to need more support now and Seokmin needs extra care as well. It was going to have to happen sooner or later." He pointed out.

When Jeonghan frowned, he continued. "It doesn't have to all be at once. Dr. Joo recommended that we start small. Play with them in different rooms, each doing an activity they like."

Jeonghan considered it for a moment, seeming to form an idea in his mind. "That could work. Jihoon and Mingyu gifted Wownoo a Lego set the other day. They told me it helped Hansol a lot when he was overwhelmed." He explained.

Stressed and worried, Jeonghan had turned to his friends after Wonwoo's meltdown. His friends were more than supportive and comforting. They shared that they had a similar experience with Hansol around a year ago. Mingyu had put syrup on Hansol's waffles, forgetting that he didn't like syrup. However, Hansol hadn't said anything until the syrup reached his fingertips and skin. He started to sob, begging for the stickiness to go away. He didn't calm down until he got a bath. From there, Jihoon and Mingyu asked Hansol's doctor about the situation and he referred them to a child psychologist. Hansol was screened for autism and the test results came back with the answer they thought, Hansol was autistic. It took them a while, but they researched and listened to their son's wants and needs. Over time, they were able to work through it and assured Jeonghan that he and Seungcheol could do the same for Wonwoo.

Seungcheol seemed thoughtful. "I think he'd like that. Is it an Avengers set?"

Jeonghan faked a scoff. "You have to ask? It's an Iron Man one."

Seungcheol found himself laughing. "You're right, I don't need to ask. I think I already guessed that."

Jeonghan shifted so that now he was sitting up. His long hair fell around his face and shoulders. Seungcheol had an urge to brush it back.

"What about you? What are you and Seokmin going to do?"

A fond smile crept onto Seungcheol's face. He had to save up quite a bit, but he had recently purchased some new toys for Seokmin. Ones that he knew his son liked without his brother's influence.

"I bought him some Kamen Rider action figures, including his favorite, Kamen Rider Black. I'm sure he'll want to play with them all afternoon."

Jeonghan shared his smile and excitement. "I think he's going to be super happy."

With a gameplay in mind, the two began their morning and went to wake the boys. First, they would all have breakfast together as they discussed the plan for the day. Then, Jeonghan would take Wonwoo upstairs while Seungcheol stayed with Seokmin downstairs. It was perfect. They only hoped the boys would think the same. The twins woke up easily and seemed in a good mood as they shuffled down the stairs to sit at the dining table. Seungcheol almost hated to interrupt the peacefulness, but when he shared a look with Jeonghan, he knew what had to be done.

"Seokmin, I got you some new toys," Seungcheol announced. "Would you like to play with them in the living room after breakfast?"

The seven-year-old brightened instantly and all traces of sleep vanished from his eyes. "Yes!" He exclaimed. "Did Hyung get new toys too?"

It was Jeonghan's turn to step in. He nodded and looked over at his son. "Uncle Jihoon and Uncle Mingyu got you a gift. We can play with it in your room."

Seokmin watched them for a second, then frowned as he processed the words. He and Seungcheol were going to be in the living room. Jeonghan and Wonwoo were going to be upstairs. He looked back at Seungcheol.

"We're not playing together?"

Jeonghan held his breath as he waited for Seungcheol's answer. It was their first roadblock presenting itself. Everything was going to be determined by this moment and how Seokmin reacted to it.

"Not today, Min," Seungcheol confirmed. Before Seokmin could argue, Seungcheol continued. "We will all still be home, just in different rooms."

Seokmin was silent for a long moment. He looked to his brother for an answer and when Wonwoo didn't seem bothered by the idea, he gave in.

"Okay, Daddy. We can play together."

Both Jeonghan and Seungcheol let out relieved sighs. As promised, after breakfast, Wonwoo and Jeonghan went upstairs while Seungcheol and Seokmin stayed in the living room. As predicted, Seokmin lit up the moment he saw the new toys. Of course, his favorite was the Kamen Rider Black figure and he didn't put it down the entire time. Seungcheol let himself relax as he played with his son. It reminded him of the early days when he had first brought him home. At first, Seokmin had been hesitant to play, thinking that Seungcheol didn't want him to be loud. To help and show him it was okay, Seungcheol got down on the floor and played with him, making loud sound effects to let his son know it was okay to have fun.

"Daddy," Seokmin started, still entranced with the action figure.

"Yeah, Seok?"

"Can we watch Kamen Rider Black tonight?"

Seungcheol's cheeks hurt from how wide he was smiling.

Upstairs, everything was quiet as Jeonghan and Wonwoo assembled Iron Man from Legos. It was an activity Jeonghan enjoyed as well. Through high school and some of university, he used to build complicated sets in his free time. Friends and family had even started giving them as gifts, knowing how much he enjoyed them. However, it all stopped when he met Kyunheon. One evening, Jeonghan had suggested they build the Effiel Tower set which had been gifted to him by his sister. It was expensive and Jeonghan cherished it. He wanted to share the experience with someone he loved, but when he suggested it, Kyunheon wrinkled his nose and asked if he was a child. It was then that Jeonghan had stopped building Lego sets. However, as he built with his son, he felt the familiar excitement rise in him once more. It felt peaceful and nice to do something they both enjoyed. He only hoped he could find something similar to do with Seokmin soon.

"Appa, are Minnie and I in trouble?" Wonwoo asked suddenly having finished his half.

Jeonghan paused and gave his son a serious look. "No. Why would you think that?" He asked carefully.

Wonwoo shrugged. "We are apart doing different things. I thought we were in trouble." He answered.

"No, that isn't it at all, Wonwoo," Jeonghan told him firmly. "We just thought you and Min would like to play different things once in a while. It's important for you two to have different interests and play separately once in a while."

Wonwoo was quiet for a moment, thinking. "Is it because Seok always follows me and does whatever I want to do?" He asked finally.

Jeonghan should have remembered how smart his son was. "Partly. His doctor suggested that he does things he likes too." Jeonghan explained to the best of his ability.

Wonwoo seemed to understand as he nodded. "Okay." He replied, moving to help Jeonghan with his half.

And just like that, the matter was solved for Wonwoo.

The next test wasn't as easy as the first. The twins had gotten comfortable being apart from each other in the house, but leaving the house was a bigger issue. While they were apart during school and doctor's appointments, they did everything else together alongside Jeonghan and Seungcheol. That was why both twins were hesitant when provided with the next plan. Jeonghan would take Seokmin for ice cream while Seungcheol took Wonwoo to a bakery near a bookstore. However, when Wonwoo remembered his and Jeonghan's conversation about why they were doing these things, he cooperated and encouraged his brother to do the same. When it came to the other's happiness, the twins would do anything.

It was still early January and a bit too cold for ice cream, however, Seokmin and Jeonghan were alike in the fact that they liked the cold and enjoyed ice cream in the winter as well. It was a sunny day and Seokmin swung their hands between them as they walked. He happily chattered to Jeonghan about random things as they walked to the ice cream shop that was only a few blocks from home. Everything was going smoothly as Jeonghan ordered a strawberry cone for himself and a chocolate one for Seokmin. However, the moment he let go of Seokmin's hand to pay, the trouble began. Seokmin tugged at his hand, starting to cry.

"No, no, no, no! Don't let go! I'll be good! Please don't leave! Appa! Hyung!"

Ice cream forgotten, Jeonghan scooped the child up and held him as he sobbed. He apologized to the young cashier who only gave him a smile as she handed him the cones. He was able to get Seokmin settled enough to sit down and after wiping his tears, he gave him his ice cream.

"Are you okay?" He asked gently.

He had never witnessed one of Seokmin's episodes. He had heard Seungcheol's stories of them, but to experience them was something else. He felt similar to how he had the day of Wonwoo's meltdown. It was clear that this new arrangement was stressing the child out and he felt guilty, but he knew no other way. Seokmin sniffed as he nodded. He took a sad bite of his ice cream.

"I miss Hyung." He muttered.

Jeonghan's heart broke. "We'll go home after this. I promise."

Jeonghan knew they were doing all of it for the benefit of their sons, but in that moment, he felt like the world's worst father.

Seungcheol wasn't doing much better. Wonwoo was quiet the entire way to the bakery. He refused Seungcheol's hand when it was offered. Seungcheol tried not to take it personally, but it was difficult. At the bakery, Wonwoo ordered a slice of strawberry shortcake, something they both knew Seokmin enjoyed. As they sat at an empty table in the corner eating their cakes, Seungcheol tried to make conversation, but it was clear Wonwoo wasn't in the mood. His last hope was the bookstore. Seungcheol set him loose, telling him to pick any book he wanted.

He watched hopefully as Wonwoo's eyes meticulously scanned the vast selection of children's books the store had to offer. It was common knowledge that Wonwoo loved books. He was always reading. While Seokmin enjoyed the occasional bedtime story, he didn't enjoy books the same way his brother did. It was the perfect option, almost foolproof. That was until Wonwoo returned and handed him a book. The Little Prince.

"Seokmin likes this book," Wonwoo noted. "I can read it to him tonight."

Seungcheol could only give Wonwoo a small smile as he went to pay for it. It couldn't all be perfect.

The final test was the hardest of all. At the most recent appointment, Jeonghan had attended too, much to the delight of Dr. Joo. They relayed their progress to her and the troubles they ran into. She nodded along and praised them for sticking it out and continuing even when it was hard. She advised them to continue what they were doing, but they needed to consider one more thing, the twins' sleeping situation. Currently, Seokmin and Wonwoo still shared a bed, but Seokmin was still having nightmares and Wonwoo was struggling to sleep. They needed different beds, but both fathers could hear the protests already. Dr. Joo saw their expressions and gave them a look of sympathy.

"It isn't going to be easy. They've been abandoned before and Seokmin took it the hardest. He's going to want to stay near Wonwoo, but it's important that they start sleeping separately." She explained. "Co- dependency is a hard thing to shake."

Jeonghan and Seungcheol nodded along, hands tightly held together. They had a long fight ahead of them. As predicted, they were met with resistance from both twins when they told them of the plan. Seokmin was in tears and Wonwoo looked bothered.

"Appa, are we in trouble?" Wonwoo asked.

Jeonghan instantly shook his head, hurt that his son always assumed that. "No, you aren't in trouble, but you and Minnie need your own space, your own beds. You sleep so differently and you're both always so tired. This is for the best." He tried.

Seokmin sniffed. "I don't want to be away from Hyung."

"You won't be," Seungcheol reassured him. "You'll still share a room. Just different beds."

It was clear Seokmin wanted to argue more, but one look from his twin had him swallowing it all back. Their mother didn't like it when they argued or talked back to her. She wound up abandoning them. What if that happened again?

"Okay," Seokmin whispered brokeningly.

The boys were still in a gloomy mood as they browsed for the perfect bed for Seokmin. However, when it came time to pick out sheets and plushies for the bed, Seokmin began to brighten. He grabbed his brother's hand.

"Hyung, let's get matching plushies!" He suggested.

Wonwoo followed along as they searched the bin of stuffed animals for the perfect pair. Jeonghan and Seungcheol shared a look from the distance. It wasn't going the exact way they wanted, but at least their sons weren't so upset anymore. Later that night, after everything was set up, Seokmin and Wonwoo lay in their separate beds across the room from one another. Seokmin kept looking over at Wownoo with a pout, but when he saw his bother cuddling the cat plushie that matched his puppy one, he grinned a bit and let Jeonghan tuck him in.

"Sleep tight, Min."

"Good night, Appa."

"Good night."

Across the room, Seungcheol tucked Wonwoo in with his new weighted blanket, another suggestion made by Jihoon and Mingyu. Wonwoo seemed to relax almost instantly and was half-asleep as Seungcheol kissed his forehead.

"Night, Daddy."

"Night, Won."

Both fathers carefully tiptoed out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind them. They leaned against the wall, exhausted. Seungcheol eyed his boyfriend.

"I think this all went well." He started.

Jeonghan gave him a look. "I'm taking a three-year nap."

Seunghceol chuckled as he followed him to their room. It wasn't easy and they still had a ton of work to do with their sons, but as they both knew and proved over and over again, they would do anything for their sons' happiness.

Chapter Text

Jihoon took a long sip from his can of Coke Zero as he eyed the couple in front of him.

"You two look like shit." He said as he set the can down.

Beside him, Mingyu was horrified. He smacked the other's arm. "Ji! You can't just say that!" He exclaimed.

"Why not?" Jihoon asked while Minghao turned to them.

"No, no. He has a point." He glanced at Seungcheol. "You look two seconds away from death."

And they both felt like it. It was a Friday afternoon. The kids were all out of school and apparently, their friends all shared the same brain cell as they all decided to come over to check on Seungcheol and Jeonghan. What they found was two deadly exhausted adults. They were still trying to work with the twins on separating them when needed and making sure they slept apart at night. Unfortunately, Seokmin's nightmares continued and they were still trying to understand Wonwoo and his feelings. He had another meltdown just the other night and it took a lot out of all of them. They were beyond exhausted.

"What we mean to say," Junhui interjected, always being the one to work damage control, "is that you two clearly need a break."

Jeonghan snorted humorlessly. "Understatement."

"You need a date night," Mingyu added.

"That sounds nice and all, but we can't leave the boys. Joshua has two kids to take care of now and it wouldn't be right to ask him to watch two more." Seungcheol pointed out. He thought often about taking Jeonghan out on another date, but it just didn't seem possible.

Minghao looked offended. "Are we invisible?" He scoffed. "Our sons are best friends. We'd be more than happy to have Seokmin over."

"What about Wonwoo?" Jeonghan asked quickly.

"Obviously, he could stay with us," Jihoon stated matter-of-factly. "He and Hansol are friends."

Seungcheol and Jeonghan glanced at each other, still not quite ready to give in just yet.

"The twins are going through a rough time right now, hence why we're so exhausted. We couldn't ask you guys to do this."

"You're not asking," Mingyu told him. "We're offering."

"Besides," Minghao continued. "this could help them. You're trying to get them to sleep apart, right? Consider this another part of the test."

It sounded like a good idea, fantastic even, but the fathers hadn't been too far away from their sons since they started dating. It felt wrong to leave them, but they couldn't deny how tired they were either. Seungcheol had just pulled a twenty-four-hour shift the other night and still had yet to recover from it. Jeonghan was constantly drowning in paperwork when he wasn't taking care of the boys. Not to mention, they hadn't had much time to focus on their relationship. Sure, they were dating, shared a bed, and kissed every now and then, but that was it. They hadn't had time to develop it, deepen it. A date night was just what they needed. With a knowing glance at one another, Seungcheol finally answered.

"Okay, let's do it."

It was easier said than done.

Seokmin burst into tears the moment he heard he wouldn't see his parents or brother all night. In turn, it made Wonwoo upset, as he hated to see his brother cry. It took an hour of coaxing and a bribe from Minghao before Seokmin agreed to go with them. With Seokmin complacent, Wonwoo was easier to convince as he followed Mingyu, Jihoon, and Hansol out, leaving Jeonghan and Seungcheol in an empty house. They were spooked as much as they were relieved. They were silent for a long moment until Seungcheol finally looked at Jeonghan.

"So, wanna go on a date?"

It was how they found themselves at an arcade. They were exhausted but were also eager to go out and have some fun. They could catch up on their much-needed sleep that night. At first, they were awkward, not used to spending time alone with one another without having two seven-year-olds between them. They were still trying to find their footing. However, after playing a few random games, they learned two important things. One, they enjoyed spending time with one another, and two, they were both competitive as hell. Seungcheol was more upfront about it, but it was clear Jeonghan liked to win as well and would go to any length to make sure that he did, even if that included a few cheap but clever tricks here and there. By the end, they were tied and they decided to call it a truce, but whoever lost rock, paper, scissors had to buy dinner. Surprisingly, Jeonghan's rock lost to Seungcheol's paper. Jeonghan heaved a hefty sigh as he held his boyfriend's hand.

"How do you feel about 7-11 ramen?"

Half an hour later, they were sitting outside a 7-11 a few blocks away from their place with their freshly made ramen and a bottle of soju to share, both thankful they had made the decision to walk tonight. As they ate and drank, the two fell into easy chatter. At first, it was about mindless things about work or the boys, but the conversation soon turned deeper, as the alcohol made them more honest.

"This is my first real relationship," Seungcheol shared, wistfully staring into his empty shot glass.

Jeonghan looked a mix of surprised and amused. "Really?"

Seungcheol nodded, verging on tipsy as he poured himself another shot and downed it. "My first crush was Joshua if that's anything to go off of."

Jeonghan giggled, pouring himself another shot as well, ramen long finished. "That's honestly adorable, Cheol. I wish it was that easy for me." He then sighed. "I had dated before and had one serious relationship before you, well, what I thought was serious."

Seungcheol perked up. "What happened?"

Jeonghan rolled his eyes, remembering his last breakup. "The asshole was married. I was an unknowing side-piece."

Seungcheol grimaced in sympathy. "What a moron." He scoffed. His eyes then widened. "I meant him! Not you!" He exclaimed in a panic.

Thankfully, Jeonghan laughed. "I know what you meant." He reassured him. He let out another sigh. "I really thought he was the one." He paused, looking thoughtful. "Maybe I was a moron."

Seungcheol reached over and grabbed his hand as he shook his head vehemently. "No, you're not a moron. It was that assholes fault. You deserved better than that."

Jeonghan smiled, squeezing his hand. "And I've found it."

They shared a moment before a thought crossed Seungcheol's mind. "Is that why Jihoon asked if I was married when I first met him?"

"Yeah, after he heard about what Kyunheon did, he kinda became the guard-dog friend. It's silly but he means well."

"You have good people around you." Seungcheol noted.

"I know."

They finished the bottle of soju before walking home. They weren't drunk, just slightly tipsy and the night winter air was sobering them up with each step. The house was quiet and dark when the entered and they tried to ignore the empty feeling settling in their stomachs. They missed their sons, but knew they needed this time away from them as well. They needed time alone together. So, they filled the silence with a random movie. Seungcheol wrapped an arm around Jeonghan's shoulder as the other leaned his head onto his chest. They fell asleep that way, halfway through the movie, wrapped up in the comfort of one another.

Chapter Text

Minghao and Junhui lived in East Seoul, around a twenty-minute drive from Jeonghan's apartment. Seokmin cried the entire car ride. Soonyoung, wanting to help his best friend, did what he could. He sat as close as he could get to Seokmin, despite them both being buckled in tightly, and held his hand. However, Seokmin continued to cry. His sobs were loud and it sounded as if he was having trouble breathing. The two adults up front shared nervous glances, wondering if they had spoken too soon. While they believed Jeonghan and Seungcheol needed a break, it was clear this experience was beyond overwhelming for Seokmin. They had to find a way to calm him down and fast.

"Minnie," Minghao called above the loud sobbing. "We were thinking of having pizza for dinner. What would you like?"

Seokmin sniffed. "Pizza?" He croaked out.

Minghao felt hopeful, albeit a little smug. It was a commonly known fact that Seokmin loved pizza and that it was his favorite food. Minghao felt it was a long shot, but was thrilled to see it was working. Even Soonyoung lit up.

"Baba, can we make them?" He asked excitedly. He turned to his friend. "Baba is really good at making the dough look like things. He always makes me a tiger." He boasted.

This seemed to intrigue Seokmin. His sobbing had ceased entirely and Junhui's grip on the steering wheel had loosened considerably.

"Could you make a puppy?" He asked.

Minghao's grin grew wider. "I can sure try. I love a good challenge." He told them.

It was how the four of them found themselves in the too-small kitchen, attempting to make silly and cute shapes out of dough. Junhui, becoming a master after helping his husband make endless tiger pizzas, worked with Soonyoung while Minghao worked with Seokmin, concentrating on making the perfect puppy. It was a little lopsided but the seven-year-old didn't seem to mind as he gasped when Minghao showed it to him.

"It's so cute!" He praised. "Thank you, Uncle Hao."

Minghao smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. He let Seokmin assist him as he made a cat one for Junhui. Across the counter, they could see Junhui placing a frog one next to the tiger. As they popped the zoo into the oven, they moved to the living room, letting the boys pick out a movie. As Seokmin was a guest, Soonyoung let him pick, remembering that his Pa had said that he always had to treat a guest well and ask their opinion first. However, his friend didn't seem too eager to pick a movie out. He glanced at his options, seeming lost. Junhui, noticing the entire thing, frowned and carefully moved closer.

"Seok, what's the matter?" He asked gently.

The younger boy took interest in a piece of string on his pants. "Hyung and I always watch movies together. He likes superheroes." He mumbled.

Junhui gave him a small smile. "What about you, what do you like?"

He knew Seungcheol and Jeonghan were working on Seokmin's individuality, or rather, lack of. It was important to ask him what he liked, rather than letting him answer what Wonwoo liked. Seokmin looked even more lost.

"I don't know." He muttered.

"Sure you do." Junhui encouraged softly. He didn't want to push too much, but he felt he was getting somewhere. "What kind of movies did you and your daddy watch together?" He tried.

Seokmin took a moment to think. "Kamen Rider and Ponyo."

At this, Soonyoung sprung into action. "I love Ponyo!"

Remote in hand, Minghao looked at Seokmin. "Is that what you want to watch?"

Seokmin couldn't hide the sparkle of delight in his eyes as he eagerly nodded. While Minghao put the movie on, the two children curled up together on the couch. Ten minutes later, the pizzas were pulled out of the oven and brought into the living room. They happily ate as they watched the movie. By the end, both children were asleep, pizza-covered faces and holding greasy hands. Minghao and Junhui each took hundreds of photos before cleaning the boys up and carrying them to bed. Both adults were just thankful that the entire night wasn't a nightmare.

Hansol and Wonwoo had been friends for a long time. They normally got along well, as their quiet and calm natures matched one another, but for the first time, Wonwoo felt awkward as he walked into Hansol's house. It felt strange not to have Seokmin next to him, squeezing his hand. His brother always helped him feel grounded. Now, everything felt wrong. He looked at a clock hanging on the wall above the television. The little hand was on five and the long hand was on twelve. Wonwoo was good at reading time. He knew it was five. If he were at home, he would be playing a video game or reading while Seokmin took a nap. He wasn't following his schedule. It was wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wr-

"Wonwoo, are you okay, Bud?" Mingyu asked, breaking him out of internal chanting.

Wonwoo blinked up at him, feeling his fingers tapping each other. It was what he did when his brother wasn't nearby to hold his hand. It wasn't the same, but it felt nice enough. The action didn't go unnoticed by Mingyu.

"Are you feeling overwhelmed?" He asked next after failing to get a reply.

Wonwoo finally answered with a nod. "Time is wrong."

To anyone else, the sentence would sound weird, but Mingyu had lived with Hansol long enough and learned plenty about his son over the years. Despite autism being a spectrum, there were overlaps at times between two autistic people, including children. Hansol often said something similar when they would go on vacation or do something out of the ordinary. Something that deviated away from his usual schedule. He would say it was wrong. Sometimes he would cry or become moodier than usual. It was during those times that Jihoon and Mingyu had to learn how to help regulate him. After much trial and error, they were experts in it, but Wonwoo was a different person. It couldn't be guaranteed that their tricks would work on him. However, they had to try.

Mingyu nodded in understanding. He wanted to validate Wonwoo and let him know that feeling that way was okay. They would just have to work to fix it.

"What do you usually do during this time?" Mingyu decided to ask.

"Sit with Min while he takes a nap," Wonwoo answered easily.

Mingyu melted with the answer. It was sweet how much the brothers loved each other. He sometimes wished Hansol could have that experience too, but Jihoon had put his foot down years ago. No more kids. He adored Hansol and his focus could only go so far. Mingyu was disappointed but understood. Besides, it meant they got to spoil their boy more.

"Hmm, that sounds nice," Mingyu noted thoughtfully. "I know it's not the same, but your Uncle Jihoon often gets sleepy around this time. Would you like to sit with him while he takes a nap?"

Wownoo thought about it for a long moment. His Uncle Mingyu was right. It wouldn't be the same. Wonwoo sat with Seokmin during his naps because he wanted to protect him. He wanted to make up for his mistake of losing him. He wanted to be a better hyung.

"No, thank you," Wonwoo answered. "May I play games?"

Mingyu took the rejection in stride, knowing Wonwoo wasn't being rude. He was just being himself.

"Sure. Let's go ask Hansol if he wants to share."

He led the boy toward his son, who was sitting in the middle of the living room, building a large tower with bricks. It was made up of different colored blocks, each level a certain color. Hansol was focused as he placed the last blue block on that level. Only when he finally finished, did Mingyu dare to interrupt him.

"Sol, may Wonwoo play one of your games?"

Not looking at him, Hansol nodded. Mingyu smiled fondly.

"Thank you, Bud."

"Thank you, Sollie." Wonwoo repeated.

After Wonwoo picked out a game, the living room was silent as both children focused on their separate tasks. Unsurprisingly, the night went by peacefully and smoothly, until bedtime. While Hansol had a set nighttime routine that Jihoon and Hansol knew perfectly, they had no idea about Wonwoo's, and the boy didn't seem eager to share either. So, they did what they could, and had Wonwoo follow along with Hansol. It worked well until they began to tuck the boys in. Wonwoo whined and wiggled under the covers Jihoon had just placed over him. Jihoon stopped his motions and watched the boy carefully.

"Won, what is it?"

Wonwoo continued to whine and squirm. Finally, after minutes of this, he spoke. "Too tight, itchy."

It took Jihoon a few seconds, but he finally understood as he freed the child's arms from under the covers. While Hansol enjoyed the feeling of being cocooned, it seemed Wonwoo didn't. He preferred to have his arms free. Jihoon could understand that.

"Sorry about that." Jihoon apologized sincerely. "All better?"

Wonwoo nodded. Jihoon and Mingyu said their goodnight to both of the boys before turning off the light and leaving. The room was dark, only illuminated by plastic stars stuck on the ceiling. Wonwoo tried hard not to twist and turn. Hansol's bunk bed was unfamiliar to him, and he missed the sounds of his twin's soft snoring. However, he knew Seokmin was safe with his friend, and for now, that was enough to comfort him.

Chapter Text

"Repeat after me, I will not buy a six-year-old a gourmet cake from Paris." Minghao prompted.

He had his hands on either side of Joshua's face as he stared intensely into his eyes. Everyone was over to help Joshua prepare for Seungkwan's birthday. It was clear that, once again, Joshua was way in over his head. Everyone was prepared to help, including Minghao, who was in charge of reminding the new father that buying a child a thousand-dollar cake was not the way to go. Joshua blinked.

"But they can make a Bluey one." He argued, voice muffled a bit from Minghao squeezing his cheeks.

"So can the market down from my house." Minghao replied, finally letting go of the other's face, "And they do it for twenty bucks, fifteen if you get your own candles."

"Damn, that's a good deal." Seungcheol muttered. "We have to get in on that on the twins' birthday." He told Jeonghan who nodded in agreement.

Joshua sighed, ignoring them completely. "I just want his first birthday here to be special."

Jihoon stepped in this time. "And it will be, but I agree with Minghao, we have to keep it simple. You can always make the cake here." He suggested.

Joshua gave him an uncertain look while Jeonghan giggled from the corner of the room. "Shua? Make something himself? That's cute." He teased.

Joshua glared at his friend. "I'll have you know, I can make things."

Jeonghan quirked an eyebrow. "Yeah? Prove it then." He challenged.

With a determined nod, Joshua snatched a kitchen apron from the hook and tied it around his waist before turning to face the counter. He stood there for several seconds, unmoving, before he turned back around.

"Okay, how the hell do you make a cake?"

Mingyu let out a sigh as he rolled up his sleeves. "I've got this."

While Mingyu proceeded to instruct Joshua on the intricacies of baking a cake for a child, Jeonghan headed upstairs with an idea in mind. The kids were spread throughout, as the twins were doing better at being separated. Soonyoung, Chan, and Seokmin were in the playroom. As Jeonghan passed by, he could hear Soonyoung roaring like a tiger while Chan and Seokmin giggled. It was delightful to hear and Jeonghan's cheeks were starting to hurt from how wide he was smiling. Seungkwan, Hansol, and Wonwoo were in Seungkwan's room. It was the furthest from the playroom, giving them a quiet place to just be. It was perfect for Wonwoo and Hansol as they wouldn't get overwhelmed. Jeonghan assumed Seungkwan joined them because he adored Hansol. He followed him around everywhere. They resembled little ducklings at times. Jeonghan gave the door a gentle knock and after a small come in, he was greeted by three happy faces.

"Hi, Appa." Wonwoo greeted softly.

"Hi, Wonwoo. Hi guys. Just wanted to check on you."

Hansol gestured to a Lego set they were building. It was still in its early stages, making it difficult to identify exactly what it was.

"Uncle Hannie, we're building." Hansol pointed out. "It's going to be a treehouse." He informed.

Now that Jeonghan really looked at it, he could see the makings of a tree, as Wonwoo and Hansol most likely wanted to start with a base. Seungkwan was handling the pieces of the tree house. They worked well as a team. It was nice to see.

"Wow, it's going to look great!"Jeonghan praised.

Seungkwan looked up. "Uncle Hannie, what's Uncle Shua doing? I wanna show him it."

"He's downstairs making a cake right now, but I'm sure he'll love to see it."

Seungkwan frowned in confusion. "Why is he making a cake?"

Jeonghan paused. Did Seungkwan not remember or did he just not expect anything? The thought made Jeonghan sad, but he saw the silver lining in it too. He merely smiled.

"I think he just wanted to do something fun."

Seungkwan nodded in understanding and resumed his previous mission. Jeonghan said a quick goodbye to the boys before moving to the playroom. Inside, Soonyoung and Seokmin were playing cars with Chan, who giggled at the noises they were making. Jeonghan sat himself in the circle and Seokmin's entire being lit up.

"Appa!"

"Hi Minnie, what are you guys doing?"

Soonyoung spoke up next. "Playing cars! They go super duper fast!"

"They do!" Jeonghan agreed as he watched the child shove a car across the room, sending it at lightning speed. Chan clapped.

Jeonghan grabbed a car and inserted himself into the game. The boys didn't seem to mind and continued on. Jeonghan waited for his moment and it finally arose.

"Channie, what's your hyung's favorite color?" He asked casually.

Chan sent a car flying before thinking. "Yellow."

Jeonghan waited a bit before his next question. "What does Hyung like to do?"

"He really likes hitting a ball over a net."

Jeonghan was momentarily confused before it finally clicked. "Ah, he likes volleyball?"

Chan nodded. "He really likes sports."

"I see. Well, thank you for telling me."

He played for a little bit longer before leaving and heading to the kitchen to give Joshua the information he just learned. It seemed he was just in time as the cake was baked and on the counter. In front of them was frosting and all kinds of decorations. In the middle of it all was a very frazzled Joshua.

"How the hell are we supposed to decorate this?"

Mingyu shrugged. Jeonghan took his chance. "I can help with that." He announced.

Joshua's head raised, revealing desperate eyes. "Really? How?"

"Never underestimate little brothers." Jeonghan started. "Chan offered helpful information. Seungkwan's favorite color is yellow."

"Great, so yellow..." Joshua trailed off. "Bees, the sun, honey, sunflowers. God, this is endless."

Junhui stepped up next, wanting to help. "Hyung, don't stress too much. Sunflowers would be cute, but I think he would like anything you made."

Joshua gave him a watery smile. "Thank you, Jun."

He took in a shaky breath. "Okay, sunflowers it is."

He grabbed the yellow frosting, placing it in a piping bag. He hesitated and looked over at Mingyu.

"Help?"

Mingyu playfully rolled his eyes before gently taking the frosting from him. "Here, I'll show you."

Twenty minutes later the cake was cutely decorated with little sunflowers and bees, upon Minghao's request. It was a cute cake and all of them took pictures of it, remembering to praise Joshua, whose panic was starting subside. However, once the cake was safely put away, Joshua began to panic once more.

"Presents! I forgot presents!"

Seungcheol laid a gentle but firm hand on his shoulder. "Shua, relax. If there's one thing you know how to do, it's shop. Take Hannie with you. We can stay with the kids."

"I'll come too." Junhui voluntered as well.

Joshua seemed to relax a bit.

Later that afternoon, the six adults had put together a birthday party that they were pretty proud of. They called the kids down and Seungkwan was the last down the stairs, as he was helping his little brother down the stairs. His eyes sparkled at the sight.

"Are we having a party?" He asked innocently.

Joshua smiled. "Yeah, it's for you. Happy birthday, Kwannie!"

Seungkwan's wonder only grew. "I never had a party before."

The statement made everyone sad, but they hid it, seeing the genuine excitement on the child's face. He gasped when he saw the cake and gave Joshua a big kiss on the cheek when Mingyu told him his uncle had made it. He squealed in delight when he unwrapped a (way too expensive) volleyball. He threw his small arms around Joshua's neck, hugging him tightly.

"You're the best dad ever!" He exclaimed.

Joshua's eyes glistened with tears. He looked to his friends who were holding back tears of their own. It seemed Joshua was doing well after all.

Chapter Text

Seungcheol was pulling another twenty-four hour shift. That left Jeonghan at home with the boys. Thankfully, things weren't as tiring as they had been. The twins were starting to adjust. They were even doing things on their own now without Seungcheol or Jeonghan having to interfere. Sometimes, Wonwoo would watch a movie while Seokmin played with toys in their room. However, things weren't always so peaceful or perfect.

Things were alright for a bit. Jeonghan had picked up the boys from school, and with a promise of ramen and pizza for dinner, both boys were on their best behavior. Once at home, Wonwoo went to do his homework in the living room while Seokmin napped as he had had a rather bad nightmare the night before. Jeonghan used the free time to catch up on paperwork and household chores he was behind on.

Dinner went smoothly, both boys happy with their promised dinners. However, things were different when getting ready for bed. Seokmin, as usual, took his bath alone. It was the one thing he was adamant about doing alone and refused his fathers' help every time. Jeonghan had understood why and didn't think twice about it when Seokmin disappeared into the bathroom. He helped Wonwoo with his homework before working on his nightly routine. It wasn't until Wonwoo said something that Jeonghan noticed that something was wrong.

"Appa, Seokmin has been in the bath a long time." He pointed.

Jeonghan paled as he looked at the digital clock on the nightstand. Over forty minutes had passed. Seokmin usually finished his baths in under twenty minutes. Jeonghan quickly rose from the bed and rushed to the bathroom. Knowing Seokmin needed his privacy, Jeonghan knocked first.

"Seok? You okay in there?"

No answer. Jeonghan's heart began to race as he knocked once more.

"Seokmin?"

Still no answer. Jeonghan took action and opened the door. He gasped at the sight before him. Seokmin's head was under the water and he appeared to be asleep. Jeonghan rushed toward him and lifted him out of the water. He held the limp boy in his arms as he tried to get him responsive to no avail. Wonwoo, who had been concerned, came into the bathroom. His eyes grew wide at the sight before him and tears gathered in the corners of his eyes.

"Appa?"

Jeonghan couldn’t meet his son's eyes.

"Wonwoo, call 119."

Seungcheol was exhausted. The firehouse alarm was ringing nonstop and he barely had time to rest. He at least managed his promised phone call home at dinnertime, but had little time for anything else. After a particular exhausting call putting out a house fire, Seungcheol all but collapsed into his bunk. He was nearly asleep when the alarm sounded again. He almost fell back asleep when just the ambulance was requested but bolted up when he recognized the address. It was his address, or rather, Jeonghan's.

He ran out of the bunk room and to the fire chief's office. He tried to catch his breath as the distance from the bunk room to the office was quite far. The chief watched him with concern, not used to such erratic behavior from his frequent floater.

"Seungcheol? What is it?"

"The recent call. That was my house. I need to check." He stated breathlessly.

The chief seemed to understand. "Go, go on." He encouraged.

Seungcheol quickly bowed before running out. As he ran to his car, he called Jeonghan. His boyfriend picked up on the second ring.

"Seungcheol." He whimpered out.

"Hannie? Are you okay? The boys? I heard on the alarm."

He could practically hear the gulp on the other end.

"Hannie?"

"Cheol, it's Seok."

Seungcheol felt as if his heart stopped. "What happened?" He choked.

"He was taking a bath and I don't know. I think he fell asleep. I pulled him out of the bathtub, but he wasn't breathing and he was so lifeless, Seungcheol. I'm so sorry." He sobbed. "We're in the ambulance right now."

"I'll meet you at the hospital." Seungcheol said before hanging up.

Going faster than the speed limit, Seungcheol arrived at the hospital the same time the ambulance did. He watched as they wheeled his son inside while Jeonghan stood frozen at the entrance. He collapsed into Seungcheol's arms the moment he saw him. He was a sobbing mess as he blubbered out a string of apologies. Seungcheol soothingly rubbed his back as he led him inside. They numbly sat in the waiting room chairs, Seungcheol holding Jeonghan tightly in his arms. After several long moments had passed, Jeonghan sniffed and looked up at Seungcheol.

"Are you mad?"

Seungcheol gave him a bewildered look. "Mad? Why on Earth would I be mad?"

Jeonghan sniffed. "Seokmin was under my care."

Seungcheol felt his heart break. He gently caressed his boyfriend's cheek.

"Hannie, this isn't your fault."

Jeonghan went to argue, but Seungcheol wouldn't let him.

"This isn't your fault." He repeated firmly. "This was an accident. It could have happened at any time. You were just unlucky."

When Jeonghan's head drooped, Seungcheol lifted it back up with a finger under the chin.

"I mean it. You were there. You got him out of the water and got help right away. You did everything you could and I can't thank you enough. You saved our son's life."

Jeonghan nearly started sobbing again but held back.

"Where's Wonwoo?" Seungcheol asked softly.

"With Mingyu. I called him and Jihoon after the ambulance. He agreed to sit with Wonwoo until we return."

"Good. How is he?"

"Scared, concerned. I think he blames himself too."

"We'll have to call him later and reassure him he's not at fault either." Seungcheol pointed out.

Jeonghan nodded in agreement. They fell silent after that, patiently but anxiously awaiting news about their son. It came an hour later as a doctor approached them. Both of them stood and looked at him expectantly.

"He's awake." He announced. "He swallowed quite a bit of water, but thankfully there was no damage to his throat or lungs."

Both Jeonghan and Seungcheol nearly collapsed in relief.

"Can we see him?" Seungcheol asked.

The doctor nodded. "He's asking for both of you."

Not wasting another second, both of the fathers rushed to their son's hospital room. Inside, was Seokmin hooked up to machines. He looked so frail and so small. It was a heartbreaking sight to see. However, despite his condition, the boy brightened upon seeing his parents.

"Appa! Daddy!"

They ran to either side of him and grabbed his hands, which he gladly squeezed back.

"How are you feeling?" Jeonghan asked carefully.

"My throat hurts." Seokmin answered rather solemnly. He turned to Seungcheol. "Does this mean I can have ice cream?"

For the first time that evening, both adults laughed, relieved that their son was alright. Seungcheol squeezed Jeonghan's hand with his free one, reassuring him that none of it was his fault. Above Seokmin's head, Jeonghan gave him a watery smile.

Chapter Text

"Cheol, please stop fidgeting." Jeonghan pleaded. "It's making me nervous."

"Sorry. I can't help it." Seungcheol mumbled, messing with his seatbelt.

He had messed with it so much that it was locked in place and was nearly choking him, but he welcomed the distraction and was thankful for something else to do.

Jeonghan scoffed, but there was no real annoyance or malice to it. "You act like I'm sending you to your death or something."

Seungcheol didn't reply. It somewhat felt that way though. They were heading to Bucheon to visit Jeonghan's family as it was his mother's birthday. Seunghcheol knew that the time was coming eventually and that he would need to meet Jeonghan's family, but it didn't make him any less anxious. What if they hated him? What if they hated Seokmin? What if they thought the worst of him? What if Seokmin had an episode in front of them? A multitude of what-ifs ran through his mind at such a rapid rate that he felt that his head was spinning. Jeonghan, sensing that his boyfriend was beyond anxious, held Seungcheol's hand with his free one and slowed his speed down. Bucheon was only around twenty-minute drive from Seoul, meaning it wouldn't be long before they arrived. Jeonghan wanted to give his boyfriend more time to calm down and Seungcheol was more than thankful for it.

The twins were oblivious to it all as they slept soundly in the backseat, holding hands. It had been another rough night for them both. Wonwoo's weighted blanket had gotten juice spilled on it just before bed, making it unusable. He had tossed and turned for hours before eventually exhausting himself. To make matters worse, Seokmin had one of the worst nightmares he had in a while and woke up the whole household with his screaming. It took two hours and a car ride around the block to get him calm enough to attempt to sleep again. Everyone was beyond exhausted and Jeonghan very nearly canceled the trip, but despite his anxiety, Seungcheol convinced him to go, knowing how important this trip was to Jeonghan.

As he drove the familiar roads, he was thankful he hadn't canceled. He hadn't been home in a few years, not since he first adopted Wonwoo. It wasn't like his family lived far, but life had a way of getting in the way. He could never find the right time until now. Besides, it wasn't like he could keep his new family a secret from them forever, nor did he want to. Growing up, Jeonghan felt he could tell his family anything. He was never in trouble for bad grades, only encouraged to try again and do his best. When he came out as gay at seventeen, his parents were hesitant, but grew to understand and support him. When he showed up with his newly adopted son, they were eager to coo over their new grandson. He knew this trip would go well. He just wished he could convince Seungcheol.

"They'll love you and Seokmin," Jeonghan told him softly after not receiving a reply.

Seungcheol gave him an uncertain look. He had never been in a serious relationship before. He had never met someone's parents like this. What was expected of him? What was he supposed to say? Oh god, what was he supposed to call them? There were too many questions and not enough answers. He was about to spiral again, but Jeonghan wouldn't let him. He squeezed his hand a little harder, not enough to hurt, just enough to ground him and remind him that he was there beside him and would always be. Seungcheol squeezed back.

The house was larger than Seungcheol was expecting. It was two stories and had a luxurious garden behind the front gate. It seemed Jeonghan came from a well-off family and Seungcheol felt out of place, but he put on a brave face for his son, who was most likely just as anxious. However, when they woke the twins to tell them they were there, Seokmin rubbed his eyes before eagerly looking around.

"Grandma and Grandpa live here?" He asked, excitement clear in his voice.

Jeonghan smiled, happy Seokmin was taking all of it well. It had taken Wonwoo a year to refer to them as his grandparents.

"They do." He confirmed. "My sister lives here too."

Seokmin eyes lit up. "You have a sister?"

Jeonghan nodded. "She's lovely. You'll like her."

Anxiety expanded in Seungcheol's chest. He had no idea Jeonghan had a sister. Now there was another person to impress. Jeonghan gave him a knowing look.

"My little sister is nobody to be scared of."

Seungcheol let out an unconvincing scoff. "I'm not scared."

Another knowing look.

"Okay, maybe a little, but I don't want to make a bad impression on your family."

"You won't," Jeonghan reassured him. "However, we better get out of the car. My mom is already giving us strange looks."

From the front window, Seungcheol could see an older woman looking out of the window. She had a look of confusion on her face, but not a hint of distaste was evident. Seungcheol took that as a good enough reason to get out of the car. He helped Seokmin out and held his hand as they trailed behind Jeonghan and Wonwoo. They were met at the door and the confusion was replaced with excitement.

"Jeonghan, Wonwoo!" His mother exclaimed. "What a wonderful birthday surprise."

She leaned down and acted as if she was going to give Wonwoo a hug, but the child backed up. His mother frowned, seeming hurt. She looked back up at Jeonghan for an explanation. However, before he could give one, a young woman appeared at the door.

"Mom, remember that you need to ask before giving hugs?"

Realization crossed the older woman's face. "Right." She looked back at Wonwoo. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me. Would you like a hug, Wonwoo?"

Wonwoo shook his head. "No, thank you, Grandma."

She took it at that and instead, hugged her son, who hugged back just as tightly. Seungcheol stood awkwardly at the side with Seokmin. What was he supposed to do? Was he supposed to say something? Was he supposed to introduce himself? Before he could lose himself in the endless unanswered questions, Seokmin spoke up.

"Grandma, can I have a hug?"

Jeonghan's mother looked surprised at the other seven-year-old standing before her. Jeonghan decided to quickly take action.

"Mom, this is my boyfriend Seungcheol and his son, Seokmin." He explained.

The older woman blinked, trying to process all the new information. Her eyes thoroughly scanned Seungcheol, who tried not to squirm. Seokmin, upset that he was being ignored, tried once more.

"Grandma? May I please have a hug?" He asked, thinking he had to be even more polite.

With a nudge from Jeonghan's sister, the older woman snapped out of it. She looked a little hesitant, but gave Seokmin a quick hug. Sensing the tense air, Jeonghan's sister extended a hand out to Seungcheol.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Jeongmi." She introduced. She then leaned down. "Hi Seokmin. You can call me Auntie if you'd like. Wonwoo does."

Seokmin grinned widely. "Okay, Auntie!"

They were led inside and Seungcheol tried not to marvel at the cozy but luxurious interior. He, once again, felt out of place, but Jeonghan, still holding his hand, wouldn't let him disappear into his head. An older man appeared from the hallway. He observed all the people standing in the living room before looking at his wife.

"I didn't know we'd have so many guests."

"Neither did I." Jeonghan's mother replied.

Seungcheol tried not to sink into himself as Jeonghan's father went to greet his son. When they pulled away from the hug, eyes landed on Seungcheol.

"Sp, Jeonghan, who's your friend?"

"Dad, this is my boyfriend, Seungcheol and his son, Seokmin."

Seungcheol awkwardly greeted him while Seokmin eagerly bowed and rushed to the older man. "Hi, Grandpa!"

"It was clear Jeonghan's father was taken aback, but took it in stride as he gave Seokmin a gentle smile.

"Well, hi. It's nice to meet you, Seokmin."

Things were still awkward at dinner, but at least Seungcheol could focus on Seokmin and Wonwoo as a form of distraction. However, it didn't take long for the conversation to be directed towards him.

"So, Seungcheol, how did you and Jeonghan meet?" Jeonghan's mother asked.

Not wanting to be rude, Seungcheol handed Seokmin back his chopsticks before turning his attention to the woman.

"We met through a mutual friend. We were set up on a blind date because we were both single fathers."

"Oh, you know Joshua too?" Jeongmi asked.

While Seungcheol nodded, Jeonghan looked over at his sister. "How did you guess so quickly who our mutual friend was?"

"You don't have very many friends." She fired back.

Before the two siblings could bicker, Jeonghan's father spoke up next. "What do you do for work?"

"I work with the fire department as a full-time dispatcher and a part-time firefighter. "

Both parents seemed impressed and Seungcheol considered it to be a small win. That was, until the next question.

"Pardon me for being rude," Jeonghan's mom started, "but where is Seokmin's mother?"

"Mom!" Jeonghan exclaimed in a scolding tone. He then sighed. "Seokmin was adopted too. It turns out our sons are twins who had gotten separated." He explained in Seungcheol's place.

Jeongmi's eyes widened. "Wow, that's something out of a drama."

"No kidding." Jeonghan agreed.

The rest of dinner passed by without any more questions directed towards Seungcheol. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, but he was desperate for the break. When dinner was over, he insisted on helping with the dishes and Jeongmi took him up on it. So, while Seungcheol washed, Jeongmi dried and put them away. They formed a simple rhythm and Seungcheol was nearly pulled into the lull until Jeongmi spoke.

"This is the happiest I've seen my brother." She told him, placing a plate back into the cabinet. "I know our parents see it too. They're just hesitant because of what happened with his last boyfriend."

Seungcheol scrubbed at an extra stubborn stain on a pot. "I can understand that." He then sighed. "I just don't want them to hate me."

Jeongmi gave him a sympathetic look. "It would take a lot for them to hate you." She reassured him. "You're not secretly married, are you?" She joked.

Seungcheol felt some of the tension melt away as he let out a little laugh. However, it returned when he overheard Jeonghan and his mother talking in the next room in hushed whispers.

"He seems nice, Jeonghan, but I'm just skeptical."

"About what exactly?"

"You're raising your sons together and you're not even married. Isn't it all a bit fast?"

Seungcheol noted there was no real judgment to her tone, just concern. He could respect that, but it didn't dull the dagger in his heart either. He had had similar concerns, but he was happy with the way things were, and as far as he could tell, so was Jeonghan. However, he still held his breath as he waited for his boyfriend's response.

"Maybe, but we wouldn't have it any other way," Jeonghan replied and the dagger was removed from Seungcheol's heart.

"I'm the happiest I've ever been, Mom, and so are the boys. We have our family and that's enough for us." He continued.

Seungcheol's heart filled with pride as Jeongmi mouthed 'told you so'.

"Alright, as long as you're happy. That's all that matters. I now have another son and grandson. I suppose I'm truly blessed."

Seungcheol nearly collapsed in relief. He had survived meeting Jeonghan's parents.

Chapter Text

The biggest test came later that weekend. Seungcheol had successfully survived meeting Jeonghan's family and by the end of the trip, they had welcomed him and Seokmin with warm and open arms, happy to see their son settled and happy. However, all wasn't settled just yet. They still had to see Seungcheol's parents which was already posing a problem. Seungcheol's parents lived in Daegu which was a three-hour car drive from Seoul. Both of them dreaded the thought of taking two seven-year-olds on such a trip, but it needed to be done. So, they made a plan and double-checked it, then triple-checked it. That Saturday morning, they were standing in the entryway, the twins bundled up in their winter gear, as early February was proving to be more than chilly.

"Both of you went to the bathroom?" Seungcheol asked, reading from the checklist in his notes on his phone.

"Daddy!" Seokmin whined, seeming embarrassed by the question.

Seungcheol was relentless. "Did you?"

Seokmin was silent for a long second before letting out a huff and heading down the hall in silent defeat. The fathers laughed at the sight before looking at Wonwoo, who nodded once to indicate that he had gone. When Seokmin returned, they continued the checklist.

"Snacks?"

Jeonghan held up a tote bag filled with various snacks all four of them loved. As the passenger today, his job was to distribute the snacks, and he planned to do well. Seungcheol seemed pleased as he marked it done.

"Seok, do you have a game with you?"

Seokmin held up a small hand-held console. "Hyung let me borrow it!" He exclaimed.

Seungcheol glanced at Wonwoo, who nodded in confirmation. Jeonghan took the lead when he saw the next item on the list. He reached into the tote bag and took out a pair of headphones, handing them to Wonwoo.

"These are a gift from Uncle Jihoon. They're noise-canceling." He informed.

The boy took it from Jeonghan's hands and observed them carefully before turning them on and slipping them over his head. He considered it for a few seconds before giving his fathers an eager thumbs up. Now relieved, they breezed through the last of the checklist before moving out to the car. With both kids safely buckled in, they were ready to go.

The car ride went smoothly, only having to stop once to let Seokmin go to the bathroom. Before they knew it, they were parked in front of Seungcheol's childhood home. It was modest and smaller compared to Jeonghan's, but it still had that cozy and warm feeling to it. They were met at the door by Seungcheol's father. He looked almost like Seungcheol, just older. Jeonghan stood tall, ready to greet him. They had discussed it the night before in bed. Of course, Jeonghan was a bit nervous to meet Seungcheol's parents, but it was nothing like the anxiety Seungcheol had felt. He felt that if had survived the interrogation of one Xu Minghao, he could survive anything. Seungcheol found it hard to argue with that. However, he was still surprised to see how calm and collected Jeonghan was as he approached his father.

"Hello, I'm Yoon Jeonghan." He introduced himself with a bow.

Seungcheol's father seemed a little lost but politely greeted him before looking at his son.

"Friend of yours?" He asked.

Seungcheol found him fidgeting with the end of his coat. Before he could answer his father, his mother came outside and leaned down so Seokmin could run into her arms. The little boy didn't hesitate as he took off into a full run into her arms. He was scooped up into a hug, squealing in delight as kisses were planted on his face. When he was finally set back down, the older woman noticed the two extra people standing there.

"Seungcheol, are you going to introduce us to your friends?" She asked.

Seungcheol cleared his throat. It was now or never. "Mom, Dad, this is Yoon Jeonghan and his son, Wonwoo. Jeonghan and I are dating and raising our sons together."

His parents stared at him for a long moment and Seungcheol tried his hardest not to squirm or look away. He could understand their confusion and curiosity. He had never brought anyone home before, nor had he ever discussed a crush with them before. He hadn't even told them he liked men as well as women. He was briefly afraid of their reaction. What if they were disappointed in him? What if they disowned him? However, all those thoughts vanished the moment his mother broke out into a huge grin. She rushed over to Jeonghan and wrapped him in a tight hug.

"Welcome to the family." She told him.

Even though he was slightly taken aback, Jeonghan hugged her back. "Thank you."

She pulled away and looked over at Wonwoo. "Hi, Wonwoo." She greeted.

Wonwoo, who wasn't the greatest with strangers, refused to meet her eyes. "Hi." He murmured.

She observed him for a solid moment, pieces of information seeming to slide into place for her. Wanting to help her out, Seungcheol spoke up.

"Mom, Wonwoo is like Hyung."

She nodded in understanding and didn't say anything further, instead, she ushered everyone inside where it was nice and warm.

"Speaking of your hyung," His mother began, "Seungwoo won't be here today. He's caught up with work." She informed.

While Seungcheol was disappointed he couldn't see his brother and introduce him to his family, he understood. Seungwoo had his own life to live and like Wonwoo, he wasn't the greatest with strangers. It would just mean they would have to visit again.

Jeonghan got along easily with Seungcheol's family, almost like he had known them his whole life. He spent the afternoon playing cards with his father and even helped his mother with dinner. He chatted with them about any and everything. It was clear to Seungcheol that his parents liked him and he was more than relieved. Even Wonwoo seemed to be warming up them. He watched TV with Seungcheol's father and let Seungcheol's mother help him with his dinner. As they had raised an autistic son, they understood that most things had to be on Wonwoo's terms and that they couldn't push. It was heartwarming to see and even Jeonghan seemed touched by the small gestures they showed his son.

At the end of the trip, Seungcheol and Jeonghan were weighted down by containers of leftovers and side dishes that Seungcheol's mother insisted they take with them. They had two hungry kids to feed after all. They were all given hugs, but Seungcheol's mother lingered longer on Jeonghan. When she finally pulled away, she looked him firmly in the eye.

"Thank you for loving him. He's lucky to have you."

Jeonghan smiled and shook his head. "I'm the one that's lucky."

Seungcheol's father moved to shake Jeonghan's hand. "Call me anytime you want to play cards." He told him.

"Will do."

Both of them waved goodbye to the twins. Seokmin eagerly waved back.

"Bye Grandma! Bye Grandpa!"

"Bye Grandma and Grandpa," Wonwoo muttered.

Both of them lit up at Wonwoo's words. Seungcheol was even sure that he saw tears glistening in their eyes. After another round of goodbyes, they finally left. The car ride back home was uneventful and when they reached their apartment, the fathers all but collapsed on the couch while the twins went to their room. Seungcheol let out a long but relieved sigh.

"We survived."

"Was there any doubt that we would?" Jeonghan asked playfully.

"Maybe once," Seungcheol admitted. "I was worried your mom hated me."

Jeonghan laughed lightly at the thought. "Nah she adores you. She told me so afterward." He turned a bit so he could fully look at his boyfriend. "I thought your father was going to have a heart attack when I suddenly introduced myself."

Seungcheol laughed along with him. "I thought I was going to have a heart attack. How are you so brave?"

"Because I have you." Jeonghan answered seriously. "Nothing is scary when I'm with you."

Even though the statement made his heart flutter, Seungcheol felt the need to tease him. "I fear our relationship has made you mushy."

Jeonghan simply shrugged and curled up against him. They stayed like that for the rest of the afternoon, feeling happy and relieved.

Chapter Text

In the entirety of his short life, Chan only knew one parent, his brother. For as long as he could remember, his brother had always been there, taking care of him. His small hand always patted Chan to sleep at night. He always fed Chan first, eating whatever was left over. He taught him how to read, despite just learning himself. Seungkwan had always been there for him, protecting him. However, Chan was a big boy now. He was nearly five! It was his turn to be a hyung now. It was his turn to protect and care for Seungkwan. The only problem was that he had no idea how to be a hyung. So, he planned to learn from the best. He decided to follow Seungkwan around. Seungkwan was six now. He was definitely a big boy. Chan had a lot to learn from him.

So, from the time they woke up, Chan did everything Seungkwan did. He washed his face all by himself, no matter that he got the entire floor wet. He even put big boy toothpaste on his dinosaur toothbrush. It might have stung, but Chan didn't cry. He was a big boy! He was going to be a hyung. Not even Seungkwan used the big boy toothpaste, he reminded himself proudly. He followed his brother closely as they went downstairs to eat breakfast with their uncle. They only bumped into each other once, Seungkwan muttering in annoyance before continuing. Normally, when they had pancakes, Chan got one while Seungkwan got two. Chan was usually okay with that as one was all he could really eat, but he was going to be a big boy. He needed to grow strong. So, he asked for another pancake.

"Uncle Shua, another pancake?" He asked.

Joshua stopped pouring syrup onto Seungkwan's pancakes as he gave the younger a skeptical look. "You want another one?"

Chan eagerly nodded, but Joshua still seemed skeptical. "How about, you eat that one first, and if you finish it, I'll give you a second one." He proposed.

Chan felt a bit glum but knew better than to argue. So, he simply nodded and worked to start cutting his pancake. Seungkwan or Joshua usually did it for him, but he could handle it. He knew he could. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Seungkwan cut a perfect bite from his pancake. Chan tried to follow along, but he wasn't aware of the amount of strength he was using and before he knew it, his pancake and plastic plate were in his lap, covering him in syrup. Chan sniffed but refused to cry. Seungkwan didn't cry over spills. Joshua stopped eating and observed the younger carefully, gauging his response. When Chan didn't cry, he slowly got up and rounded the table to kneel at his level.

"Why don't we get cleaned up and then we can try again?"

Chan sniffed. "I'm sorry."

Joshua shook his head. "Don't be. It was an accident." He stood and held out his hand. "Come on, let's go get cleaned up. I bet you feel icky."

Chan nodded pitifully as he took his uncle's hand. He was quiet during his bath. Nothing was going right. All he wanted to do was prove that he was a big boy, but it wasn't working. He kept messing up. Joshua noticed how quiet he was being and was concerned. He still didn't know a lot about Chan, but one thing he knew for sure was that the child was almost always loud and full of energy.

"Chan, are you okay today?"

Chan just nodded. Joshua frowned. He was going to have to push.

"Why didn't you ask for my help or your hyung's at breakfast?" He asked instead.

A sniff. Then came the tears in rapid progression, startling Joshua, who dropped the cloth he was using to wipe Chan down with.

"Chan?"

"I wanted to be a big boy!" He wailed. "I want to be like hyung."

Joshua felt his heart drop as he remembered bits of his childhood with his sister. He had gone through a phase where he wanted to be a big kid like his sister. He wanted to do everything she did without realizing he couldn't just yet. Now, he was going to have to teach Chan the same thing.

"Is that why you've been doing everything Seungkwan does all morning?"

Chan nodded.

Joshua gathered his thoughts as he finished the bath and got Chan dressed. As he towel-dried his hair, he finally thought of what to say.

"You don't have to be like Seungkwan. I understand you want to be like him and you want to protect and care for him the same way he does for you, but you don't have to do it the same way he does." He started.

Chan blinked at him, questionly. "Then how?"

"Well, you can help him in other ways." He thought for a moment. "You like dancing, right?"

"I love dancing!"

"And you're good at it too. You could teach Seungkwan." He offered. "You could help him with his chores. You could give him a hug when he cries. You could share your snacks with him." He listed off. "There are many ways to be a good brother all on your own without copying."

Chan seemed to brighten and Joshua finished drying his hair before leading him back down the stairs. Seungkwan was already finished with his breakfast, but he was still sitting at the table. When he saw his little brother, he eyed him worriedly.

"Channie, are you okay?"

"Mhm! All better! No sticky!" He cheered, showing off his clean hands and outfit.

He climbed into his seat at the table and Joshua placed another pancake on a clean plate for him. Chan thought for a moment before turning to Seungkwan.

"Hyung help?"

Without hesitation, Seungkwan took the plate from him and began cutting the pancake into bite-sized pieces. Chan watched him with fascination and adoration. He wouldn't be like Seungkwan just yet, but that was okay. Uncle Joshua was right, he could help Seungkwan in other ways. So, when Seungkwan gave him his plate back, Chan took a piece on his fork and held it in front of his brother's face.

"Here!"

Seungkwan looked taken aback. "For me?" He asked.

Chan smiled widely. "Yep!"

Emotional, Seungkwan took the bite, swallowing down tears along with it. "Thank you, Channie."

The younger's smile was bright enough to rival the sun. Joshua watched them with warmth in his heart, trying to ignore the painful twinge in his chest that reminded him of Julia and how much he missed her. He could only hope that the two stayed close forever.

Chapter Text

Joshua Hong online shopped like he was reading the morning newspaper. It was why it was no surprise that he could be found on his too-large couch at nine in the morning, scrolling the Prada website. He was in search of a new bag. It wasn't like he needed one, per say, but his current one was already six months old. It was getting boring and he needed a new change of scenery. He felt a rush of excitement as he spotted the perfect bag. Not to mention the mini ones he saw just underneath it. He could get Seungkwan and Chan one. You were never too young for your first Prada bag. With a satisfied smile, he added the three items to his cart and proceeded to check out, not even blinking at the total of ₩4,000,000.

He put his phone down and stretched his limbs. What a productive morning. He glanced at the clock. It was getting closer to ten now. The kids had already been fed and were upstairs playing. Maybe he would take them to the park later. It was still chilly out, but he could bundle them up. They all needed some fresh air. Before he could decide what to do, the ring of the doorbell sounded throughout the large home. Joshua frowned. He wasn't expecting anyone, and his delivery wouldn't be until tomorrow. So, who was at his door?

Joshua shuffled over to the front door, thankful for his purchase of the grand security system he bought when he first moved in. It allowed him to see that it was parents at the door. His heart clenched. His parents. The same parents who doted and spoiled him when they kicked his sister out. The same parents that didn't bother telling him that his sister had died. The same parents who had no idea they had two grandchildren. Joshua let out a tense breath. It was about to be a very interesting visit.

He finally opened the door and his mother looked exasperated as she gave him an air kiss near his cheek.

"Good morning, Jisoo. I was wondering if you'd ever answer the door." She said as she sauntered in, her husband right behind her.

He gave a curt nod to his son, not eager to show affection like his wife. Joshua didn't care. He was used to it and simply moved to close the door behind them.

"Mother, Father, what brings you here?"

His mother frowned, her pristine makeup unwavering. It was times like this where she resembled Julia. Joshua had to resist the urge to look away.

"Brunch, Jisoo. Did you forget brunch?" His mother asked. sounding near annoyed.

Brunch. Right. Joshua used to have brunch with his parents every few months to catch up on each other's lives. However, with Seungkwan and Chan's arrival, the simplicity of brunch had slipped his mind.

"I did." He admitted.

His mother sighed and let out a disappointed click of her tongue. "My son, always so forgetful." She chided. "Oh, well. Get dressed and then we can go."

"Actually, I can’t go."

"And why not?"

Before he could answer, Chan let out one of his squeals of delight from upstairs. Both of his parents' eyes went up. His mother looked back at him.

"Oh, are you babysitting?"

"No, actually, they're mine." He admitted.

He was still withholding a large part of the truth, but at least the first bandage was being ripped off. The shock couldn't be hidden nor could the disappointment.

"Jisoo, isn't it a bit uncouth for an unmarried man to adopt children?" She asked, clear judgment coating her tone.

Before Joshua could defend himself, both Seungkwan and Chan ran down the stairs. They stopped in front of Joshua.

"Uncle Shua, can we go outside and play?" Seungkwan asked.

He wasn't directly looking at them, but he could practically feel his parents' hard gazes boring into the back of his head. However, he kept calm, not wanting to make a scene in front of the children. For now, he focused on them.

"Sure, but make sure you wear your coats, scarves, and gloves." He answered. "Can you help your brother with his?"

Seungkwan nodded dutifully. "I can!"

"Good, and make sure to stay in the backyard, okay?"

"Okay!" Both boys echoed.

All adults were silent until both children were dressed and out the door. Only then did Joshua dare to face his parents. Both of them were looking at him with cold expressions. It was clear they had put the pieces together, but they still asked.

"Jisoo, who are those children?"

It was time to rip the last bandage off.

"Your grandchildren, Julia's sons."

His parents turned cold at the mention of their daughter.

"Jisoo, we made it very clear you were to have nothing to do with that girl."

That girl. Not Julia. Not Jisun. That girl. Their daughter was a stranger to them. Someone not worth naming. Joshua clenched his jaw as the ache in his heart grew larger. He and his sister may not have seen eye to eye, but she would always be his big sister. He would always love her. He couldn't forget her the way his parents wanted him to. He just couldn't nor would he let himself. Seungkwan and Chan deserved better than that.

"That girl," Joshua said through clenched teeth, "was your daughter. Those children are your grandchildren."

"We don't have a daughter and we certainly don't have grandchildren." His mother stated coldly. "And if you insist on this foolishness, maybe we don't have a son either."

Joshua felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him as his ears began to ring. He felt like a teenager again watching his big sister being disowned and kicked out like she had never mattered, except now it was him. He couldn't believe it but he wasn't going to fight it either. Perhaps it was better this way.

"If that's how you feel. I can't stop you."

He managed to look at them and was surprised to see the beginnings of tears pooling in his mother's eyes, threatening to ruin her, no doubt, expensive makeup. He had always been close to his mother, but now he could see her for who she truly was. It was as if he was seeing her with Julia's eyes. It wasn't pleasant.

"However," He stood straighter, refusing to show weakness. "I feel sorry for you. You'll never get to know the two sweetest boys in the world. Julia made a lot of mistakes, but those boys were not one of them and they don't deserve to suffer for it." He lectured.

Their expressions remained stoic. They were already pulling away. His father cleared his throat.

"You're cut off."

Joshua saw it coming but he still scoffed. Wordlessly, he stomped over to the hook where his Prada bag was hanging. He dug through it, pulling out his wallet. He reached for his black card. He stomped into the kitchen and rummaged a drawer for a pair of scissors. Once he found them, he placed the card inbetween the blades and made a show in front of his parents of cutting it.

"I don't want or need your money." He told them. "Me and the boys will do just fine."

His parents didn't say a word. Just silently left, leaving Joshua to pick up the physical and metaphorical pieces. He scopped up the two pieces of his black card and pouted.

"I'll miss you." He told the pieces mournfully before tossing them into the trash.

Seungkwan and Chan ran back inside, faces red and windblown. Joshua managed a smile for them, not wanting to lead on that something was wrong.

"Did you guys have fun?"

Both boys nodded. "We builded a snowman!" Chan exclaimed.

"Well sorta." Seungkwan interjected. "He leans."

Joshua laughed. "I would love to see it."

Both boys took his hands, ready to lead him outside. He may have just lost his parents, but he still had a family. He had two boys he loved more than anything in the world and no amount of money could ever change that.

Chapter Text

"Daddy, can I have a sleepover with Soonyoung?" Seokmin asked suddenly.

It was late Saturday morning and the house had been peaceful and quiet. Seungcheol was in charge of the laundry while Jeonghan was downstairs, cleaning the living room. The boys had been upstairs cleaning their room until now. Seungcheol paused putting the clothes in the washer as he turned to look at his son. The twins were admittedly doing better with being separated and Seokmin was voicing his own likes and dislikes more, but for him to ask directly for something only he wanted was a major step. Seungcheol was beyond elated, but, as usual, held strong.

"Did you finish cleaning your room?"

Seokmin nodded. "I put everything away and swept the floor!" He boasted.

Seungcheol was pleased and surprised. He hummed thoughtfully as he continued loading the clothes into the washer. Seokmin waited patiently until he was done and the washer was lowly humming as it began to spin.

"Okay, let me call Soonyoung's parents and ask. Until then, why don't you go have a snack downstairs?"

Seokmin squealed as he hugged his father tightly. "Thank you, Daddy!"

Seungcheol ruffled the boy's hair before he bounced out of the room. The father smiled to himself and was about to leave the laundry room when he saw Jeonghan making his way down the hall. He stopped his boyfriend with a gentle hand on his arm.

"Seokmin just asked if he could have a sleepover with Soonyoung." He announced.

Jeonghan mirrored his surprise. "By himself?"

Seungcheol nodded. "I'm about to call Jun now, but I can't believe he just asked."

"Me either." He paused for a moment. "I wonder if Wonwoo knows."

Seungcheol shrugged as he grabbed his phone. "Seok didn't say anything."

"I was heading to check on Wonwoo anyway."

With that, Jeonghan left Seungcheol alone in the laundry room as he knocked on the twins' door. A faint come-in was heard and a wonderous sight greeted Jeonghan. Normally, the shared room was chaos with toys and clothes laid haphazardly around the room, but now both sides of the room were devoid of clutter as toys were put in their respective places and clothes were hung up. It even looked like they swept the room as well. Jeonghan felt a swell of pride. Their boys were growing up.

Wonwoo looked up from the game that he was playing on his bed. When he saw it was Jeonghan, he put it down and gave him a small smile.

"Hi, Appa."

"Hi, Won. What are you doing?"

"Playing Pokemon."

Jeonghan nodded. Wonwoo had been glued to the game and a few others since Christmas. It was nice to see they had chosen well that the kids were still playing with them seven months later.

Before Jeonghan could ask his son about Seokmin's plans, Wonwoo started with a question of his own.

"Appa, can I go see Uncle Jihoon and Mingyu? I want to show them the new set I built and build one with Hansol."

Jeonghan was briefly taken aback. Wonwoo had asked to go over to Jihoon and Mingyu's before but since his reunion with Seokmin, he never asked to go anywhere unless Seokmin came too. It seemed both of the boys were making tremendous progress today."

"Sure, just let me ask, okay?"

That was how Seungcheol and Jeonghan found themselves in a quiet and empty house at five in the evening. Seokmin had been picked up by Junhui at three and Wonwoo had just been dropped off. Similar to the last time they were alone, Jeonghan and Seungcheol were briefly at a loss of what to do until Jeonghan flopped himself down on the couch with his phone.

"Can we please stay in? I'm exhausted."

Seungcheol smiled as he sat down next to him. "I was hoping you'd say that. Movie marathon?" He asked as he grabbed the remote.

"Movie marathon," Jeonghan confirmed, still scrolling through his food. "Takeout?"

Seungcheol nodded. "Thai?"

"Oh my god, yes. I've been craving crab curry."

The food ordered and movie chosen, the couple settled into the couch, only moving when the food finally arrived. They ate quietly, enjoying the movie and the silent company of one another. When the food and the first movie were finished, Jeonghan grinned to himself, ready with a plan. Once Seungcheol put on the next movie, Jeonghan planted himself in his boyfriend's lap, staring down at him. Slightly flustered, Seungcheol hesitated momentarily before placing his hands on either of Jeonghan's hips.

"Hi."

Jeonghan giggled. "Hi."

"I thought you were exhausted."

Jeonghan shrugged, leaning down to catch the other's lips in a quick kiss. "The crab helped." He murmured.

Seungcheol hummed, leaning up for another kiss, this one deeper, pulling away seconds later. "Maybe we should buy crab more often."

"Wonwoo doesn't like seafood."

"What a shame." Seungcheol moved one hand to the nape of Jeonghan's neck and pulled him closer, almost kissing. "Perhaps when we're alone again."

"Perhaps." Jeonghan breathed out, connecting their lips once more.

This kiss was longer and deeper. Their hands began exploring and caressing. Despite dating and living together for nearly a year, they hadn't managed to get very far physically, as they were both exhausted from work and the boys. This felt like a special occasion, and neither intended to waste it. The night continued on like that with kisses and touches leading to more, illuminated only by the dim light of the movie being ignored in the background. Afterward, the two were curled up against one another, their matching bracelets gleaming under the low light. Jeonghan admired them as he played with Seungcheol's large hand.

"I love you," He said suddenly.

He felt he had not said it enough. He said it when Seungcheol left for work in the morning and before they went to bed at night, but not in random moments such as this. It felt more special and intimate this way. Seungcheol must have felt the same way as he kissed Jeonghan's shoulder.

"I love you, too."

After that, no words were spoken. They didn't have to say anything; they already knew. Hours passed, simply holding one another until Jeonghan suddenly sat up as if remembering something. Startled, Seungcheol watched his boyfriend carefully.

"What is it?"

"We have to get to decorating."

Seungcheol frowned. "Decorating? What are you talking about?"

"Cheol, the twins' birthday is tomorrow."

It wasn't that Seungcheol had forgotten, quite the opposite, but he was already dreading the preparation. As much as he loved his sons and wanted to give them the world, party planning drained the life out of him. It was why he usually let Joshua handle it in the past but now that his friend was a parent and significantly less rich, that wasn't an option. He groaned, leaning back against the couch, pulling Jeonghan down with him.

"One more hour." He pleaded. "Then we can get into party mode."

Jeonghan sighed, acting put out, but it was clear he was pleased with the option. "Okay."

Seungcheol grinned. "Another round?"

A slap to his shoulder. "Seriously?"

"I don't hear a no."

"Fine."

And that was how Seungcheol and Jeonghan spent their spontaneous free night.

Chapter Text

"Who knew that planning a party could be so exhausting?" Seungcheol whined as he set the last of the bags down in the entryway.

He and Jeonghan were just returning home from endless shopping. After their time alone the night before, they had caught a few hours of sleep before needing to start planning a party for two eight-year-olds. It was beyond exhausting and both were in desperate need for another nap, but it wasn't possible. They had less than two hours before the twins arrived home. They had less than two hours to make the perfect surprise party.

"What kind of parties did you throw for Seokmin before?" Jeonghan asked casually, retrieving the cakes from a bag and setting them gently in the fridge.

"I threw the responsibility to Shua. He loves shopping and spoiling others." Seungcheol easily answered. "It was easier to let him do it."

"That's true." Jeonghan agreed. "Well, regardless, I think we're doing a great job."

Seungcheol wearily eyed the red and blue decorations they had purchased. Blue for Wonwoo, red for Seokmin. He looked back at his boyfriend.

"Couldn't we have just gotten purple and called it a day?" He implored.

Jeonghan gave him a chastising look. "Just because they share a birthday doesn't mean they have to share everything." He scolded.

Seungcheol couldn't argue with that. They were making great progress with the twins' individuality. It was why they were each getting their own mini cake, different presents, and different decorations. It was a bit more expensive, but for the sake of their sons' mental health, it was well worth the extra cost.

"You're right," Seungcheol sighed. "Alright, checklist."

Jeonghan nodded as an indication that he was ready.

"Cakes?"

"One Iron Man and one Kamen Rider Black safely tucked into the fridge."

"Presents?"

"Wrapped and out of reach."

"Wonwoo's headphones in case he gets overwhelmed?"

Jeonghan held up the beloved pair of noise-canceling headphones. "Right here."

"Okay," Seungcheol sighed. "Presents or cake first?"

"Presents," Jeonghan answered almost automatically. "That way, if they get sticky from the cakes, we can immediately head to the bath."

"That's such a good plan." Seungcheol praised.

"Imagine how well I could function with eight hours of sleep," Jeonghan replied with an air of smugness.

Just two minutes to noon, the fathers finished decorating and setting up. They each collapsed into a kitchen chair, eager to catch a minute of rest, but that plan was ruined as a series of knocks sounded on their door. Jeonghan weakly turned to his boyfriend.

"Showtime?"

"Showtime," Seungcheol confirmed.

As requested, the twins were the first ones to enter. They had met at the door and, as usual, they were holding hands. They took in the decorations and presents carefully. They were no strangers to birthday parties, both of them being showered with affection after being adopted, but having a birthday together after all this time was new to them. It filled them with large and unknown emotions. Before they could say anything, everyone spoke.

"Surprise!"

Their fathers moved to them, hugging them tightly. "Happy birthday."

Seokmin cuddled into them closer. "Thank you, Daddy, Appa. This is the best birthday ever."

Despite Wonwoo not liking physical contact, he leaned into the hugs and it was his way of saying thank you. Jeonghan and Seungcheol squeezed him as a reply. They led the boys to the kitchen table, letting everyone get settled before starting.

"Okay, presents first."

"You can go first, Seok." Wonwoo said, pushing the stack of presents closer.

His brother beamed. "Thank you hyung!"

"Here, Seokie!" Soonyoung exclaimed, sliding a gift bag across the table.

Out of the bag, Seokmin pulled out a bunny plushie. It was similar to the tiger one that Soonyoung had at home. He always let Seokmin hold it when he came over and felt anxious. Minghao and Junhui had noticed and opted to get one for him, letting their son pick it out. It seemed they had done well as Seokmin held it close to him.

"Thank you, Soonie! Now we can match!"

Soonyoung nodded eagerly. "They can be best friends." He agreed.

"Here, Nonu, I helped pick this out," Hansol announced, sliding his present to the other twin.

Wonwoo calmly grabbed and gently unwrapped it. It was another Lego set. He was starting to drown in them, but no one minded as long as it made him happy.

"Thank you, Sollie." He murmured.

His face didn't give way to much emotion, but his eyes weren't leaving the box anytime soon. It was clear he loved the gift and Hansol understood that better than anyone. Next, was Joshua. He gave each of the boys a glasses case. Inside, were a pair of expensive glasses for Wonwoo and expensive sunglasses for Seokmin. Seungcheol gave him a knowing look.

"Shua, what did we say about gifts?"

Joshua merely shrugged. "I'm Wonwoo's eye doctor. I'm allowed to give him glasses and you're never too young for cool sunglasses."

"Normal ones! Not luxury frames that are worth my entire paycheck." Jeonghan retaliated.

Joshua waved him off. "I own my own practice and I also get the frames at a discount, which I just discovered today. It made it worth half your paycheck."

Both fathers rolled their eyes but let it go. When it came to Joshua and shopping, there was no arguing. Besides, the twins seemed happy with them and they thanked Joshua endlessly for them. Seungkwan and Chan gave the twins their own bags of candy, picked out by each of them. Joshua seemed proud of them as he watched them. Jeonghan and Seungcheol were last, pooling their money together for a gift for each twin. They gave Seokmin his first, delighted when the boy's face lit up seeing the keyboard. Lately, Seokmin had been showing interest in music and after an afternoon with Jihoon and Mingyu, he mentioned wanting to learn piano. Jihoon offered to teach him and gave the fathers a recommendation for a keyboard. They nearly fainted at the price tag, but seeing the absolute delight on Seokmin's face made it worth it. Wonwoo's present was next. It was a film camera, recommended by Minghao. Wonwoo was always taking pictures with either Jeonghan or Seungcheol's phone and he had shown real talent. As an artist and lover of photography, Minghao advised them to get him a film camera to practice with and it seemed to be the right choice as, once more, Wonwoo was fixated on it. He only let it go when the cakes were presented.

Happy Birthday was sung and headphones were handed to Wonwoo as he had started to become overwhelmed. Despite having separate cakes, the twins held hands as they blew out their candles together, neither of them making a wish. Each of them had their wishes come true. They were finally together again and had a family. As the cakes were cut, they gave each other their slices without saying a word. Jeonghan and Seungcheol smiled at the sight. Their family was complete and their boys were happy. It was all they could wish for. It only took two to make four.