all these things
kaisoo l g l fluff l domestic!au
Kyungsoo wakes up to something different one day.
The last thing Kyungsoo remembers seeing is the red glow of the digital clock resting on the bedside table, the digits 01:47 momentarily making him wonder when was the last time he had gotten a good night’s rest before he practically passed out from exhaustion.
For Kyungsoo, it has always been about routine. His typical day begins at 7.30AM. He’s always the first to get out of bed after snoozing once (twice when he has had an exceptionally late night), showers and freshens up in record time of 15 minutes, and is in the kitchen before 8AM rolls around. There, he expertly whips up breakfast -- always American style; bacon, eggs and sausages for him and Jongin, pancakes with maple syrup for Seungwoo. It’s easy to make once he has mastered it, and after being in charge of preparing breakfast for nearly 6 years now, Kyungsoo is more than just well-equipped.
Once he’s done making coffee for the adults and pouring milk into a glass for his son, he heads for the room at the end of the hallway. He never fails to sneak a peek at the bed in the master bedroom when he passes by, and has in recent years taken to kicking the lump beneath the blanket if he sees it there. There’s no other way to wake Jongin up when his husband is perfectly capable (and has proven himself so) of sleeping through the loudest thunderstorms, even when a terrified Seungwoo would run into their room with tears in his eyes thinking the world is about to end.
The alarm clock alone is usually enough to wake Jongin up though, and Kyungsoo doesn’t have to make a detour that frequently. Seungwoo is exactly like Jongin in terms of how much he likes sleeping. He throws morning tantrums on difficult days and Kyungsoo hates dealing with that the most -- hates having to drag a screaming kid out of bed, hates having to force him into decent clothes, hates that he still loses his patience which only makes him feel like shit afterwards.
Despite that, Seungwoo is an angel on most days. He gives his daddy a morning kiss the moment his eyelids flutter open, and goes to shower without complaining. More often than not, Kyungsoo doesn’t trail after him immediately. Instead, he would remain right where he is just watching his son, a 5-year-old warrior who no longer needs daddy to carry him to the bathroom. Then a tinge of sadness would sink in at just how quickly his little boy is growing up, and how he and Jongin are not getting any younger too.
When all of that is done, they go to the dining table together for breakfast. On days Jongin doesn’t sleep through multiple alarms and Kyungsoo’s shadowless kicks, they would arrive to the sight of said male in his seat, sipping coffee with a sleepy smile. Otherwise, he would rush into the living room only when Seungwoo has already started on breakfast, hastily doing up his buttons and mumbling something along the lines of so bloody sleepy.
Jongin gets a morning kiss from Seungwoo first, before he leans over to kiss Kyungsoo’s lips as gratitude for the breakfast he has, the son they love, the home they call theirs. Dirty dishes are left in the sink after breakfast is done, to be paid attention to only when Jongin gets home from work (he usually does before Kyungsoo).
After that, they set off on their respective routes -- Jongin drives Seungwoo to the childcare centre, Kyungsoo goes straight to work. It’s a sort of balance they’ve established and have been very comfortable with, foreseeing no need for any changes in the near future.
Then Editor Kyungsoo drags himself through the tedium of work, fingers flying across the keyboard with practiced ease as he studies manuscript after manuscript. A long day comes to an end at 6PM (unless there’s a deadline he has to meet) and he goes home to his husband and son watching television together, their common fondness for Pokemon both endearing and amusing.
Sometimes Kyungsoo cooks dinner, and sometimes Jongin buys food from outside. They always make it a point to eat together unless something urgent crops up, finding their hearts warmest when they talk about their days over chicken and soup. Jongin likes to tuck Seungwoo into bed while Kyungsoo bustles around ensuring everything is organized and back in their original positions. It is a quirk Jongin has come to love and appreciate, mostly due to how much convenience it has brought to him.
Then they would curl up in bed and fall asleep in each other’s arms, or do more if they’re not too tired for it.
So when Kyungsoo wakes up to silence and sunlight pouring through the windows this morning, he knows something is amiss. It’s not how he usually wakes up to his alarm blaring, and there’s nothing warm pressed against his body. It takes him a minute to regain his senses, looking to the bedside table when they return.
The digits 11:59 are unfathomable, so unbelievable that Kyungsoo pinches himself to make sure he’s not dreaming. When the pain convinces him that he is in reality, and that it is indeed this late, he sits up with a jolt, the blanket pooling around his waist.
It’s Friday. He has work. Jongin has work. Seungwoo has to go to the childcare centre.
Kyungsoo’s legs feel slightly wobbly when he gets to his feet, the world spinning too quickly for a moment. He blinks away the haze in his eyes and clears his throat to get rid of any remaining tendrils of sleep. The living room is the first place he heads for, becoming increasingly confused when he hears the television, Ash Ketchum’s familiar voice doing nothing to ease his perplexment.
It’s as if the boundary between day and night has melted away, the transition long gone, for the sight of Jongin and Seungwoo sitting on the couch watching Pokemon together burns into his eyes.
Jongin spots him. “Morning, babe.” He gets to his feet, tearing himself away from Seungwoo’s grasp.
His son does too. “Morning, daddy.” Seungwoo beams, his baby teeth accentuating the cuteness of his smile. He’s still in his jammies, but his hair has been brushed and his eyes are lively.
Kyungsoo scratches the back of his head. “Already afternoon,” he says, allowing Jongin to pull him into his strong arms. “So what’s going on? Did I sleep through Friday?”
“It is Friday,” Jongin mutters as he presses his lips against Kyungsoo’s forehead. “We’re just playing a little game of truancy right now.” His kisses shift lower-- Kyungsoo’s nose, cheeks, and finally his lips.
The crazy thing is that Jongin’s words sank in the moment they were uttered, and Kyungsoo understands the gravity of their present behaviour, but he can’t really bring himself to object or care at all. He breaks into a grin and buries his face in Jongin’s shoulder.
“Man, it’s been years since I last did anything like this.”
“I called in sick and informed Seungwoo’s teacher this morning, so you’re actually the only one in trouble right now.”
That gets Kyungsoo. “What?” He pulls back with wide eyes. Then he remembers the deadline he had cleared yesterday, which means there’s barely any work today, and he’s not going to get into too much trouble for being absent even without prior notice or valid reason. “Oh well, I think it should be fine. I’ll just call Joonmyun later.”
Jongin laughs. “Come on, you have that little faith in me? I was kidding. I called him earlier too and told him you’re sick.”
The smaller male grins. He nips Jongin’s neck playfully, then remembers they’re in plain sight of their son and abruptly stops. It doesn’t matter at all, though, because Seungwoo’s eyes are glued to the television and he hasn’t paid the slightest ounce of attention to his parents smooching each other’s faces off.
“What did you make him for breakfast?”
“We made pancakes together.” Jongin declares, his face smug. “They turned out great.” Then he pats Kyungsoo’s butt. “Go freshen up, I’ll have pancakes and coffee ready for you.”
Kyungsoo pecks his husband’s cheek once more, inhaling the familiar scent of the aftershave they share, absorbing the sight of their son whose gaze is still fixated intently on the television, and complies with the biggest smile.
-
The micky-mouse shaped pancakes really shouldn’t have came as a surprise. Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow at Jongin who only lifts the corners of his lips further.
“Aren’t they cute?” He asks eagerly, and presses Kyungsoo for an answer as the smaller male remains reticent while studying the pancakes of various shapes and sizes on his plate. “Guess who made the mickey-mouse shaped ones.”
Kyungsoo chuckles to himself. “I’m going with Seungwoo. You probably made this hideous-looking...blob.” He pokes at the disfigured pancake with his fork, trying to picture what kind of expression Jongin had been wearing when he made this.
His husband takes offense at that. “What do you mean by that?” He raises his voice, but nothing in his tone indicates hostility. “I made the mickey-mouse pancakes!” When Kyungsoo watches Jongin’s lower lip jut out into a pout, he suddenly feels like they’ve transcended time and space and became high-school kids again, getting all emotional over something as minor as this.
He nearly forgets to respond to his childlike husband, nostalgia overwhelming him.
Jongin goes on, interpreting Kyungsoo’s silence as disbelief. “Really!” He insists firmly. “I made the mickey-mouse pancakes. Seungwoo’s not very good at this, not as good as I am. Those pancakes are his.” He points at the sad looking blobs.
Only Jongin would fight with his son for Kyungsoo’s praise. But this is precisely why Kyungsoo fell for him. Life’s not entertaining without someone like Jongin who is childlike at the right time, reminding him that it’s so much more fun to go back to being a kid sometimes.
Kyungsoo stabs the mickey-mouse pancake and stuffs it into his mouth, all the while laughing. “You’re ridiculous,” he says between mouthfuls, “completely out of your mind.”
Now contented with the knowledge that Kyungsoo knows he’s the real masterchef behind these beautifully shaped mickey-mouse pancakes, Jongin gestures at the coffee.
“Try that too. I made it the way you like it. Two teaspoons of milk and from the back.” The last part of his sentence takes an unexpectedly long time to register, and when it finally does, Kyungsoo’s jaw drops.
“You!”
“I’m ridiculous and completely out of my mind.” Jongin quotes, tranquil expression unruffled. “I know, I know, you already told me.”
Seungwoo is still very much caught up in his cartoon, and he would not have understood even if he heard their conversation, but Kyungsoo still kicks Jongin’s foot under the table. His husband puts up the most exaggerated look of pain he can possibly muster, eyebrows pulled into a tight knot.
“Where has your conscience gone?” He asks in a deliberate whimper. “You haven't been communicating with it enough. Is this really how you treat the love of your life who made you delicious breakfast and got you a day off?”
That reminds Kyungsoo of something. He ignores Jongin’s other baseless accusations, focusing only on the most important thing. “Did my alarm ring at all this morning?”
Jongin stops goofing around too, his dramatic expression instantly morphing into his usual gentle one.
“It did,” he replies, “but you slept right through the first one.”
“Huh.”
“You’ve never done that,” Jongin continues, obviously happy that he knows this much about Kyungsoo because they’ve been sleeping together for long enough. “So I thought you could use a day off and deactivated all the other alarms. You got home really late last night, didn’t you?”
“Deadline,” Kyungsoo explains with a sigh. “I guess I really needed today off. I keep forgetting I’m no longer the same guy who could survive three days with only a few hours of sleep and still power through everything. Man, growing older sure sucks.”
The taller male laughs and bends forward so they can make intimate eye-contact. “But growing old together feels pretty amazing, you know.” He says, smile so sincere Kyungsoo cannot help himself from kissing him.
“I know.”
Jongin crinkles his nose. “Maple syrup,” he says while licking his lips, and Kyungsoo laughs.
The coffee turns out amazing, and Kyungsoo already feels so much better by the time he finishes his brunch. Jongin shoos him away, long arms gathering the plates to be washed. Helpless and in the mood to be pampered anyway, Kyungsoo doesn’t even try to act and turns away instantly, walking over to join their son on the couch.
He plops down just when the episode draws to an end, and Seungwoo, now at liberty to pay attention to his daddy, rolls over and crawls onto Kyungsoo.
“Dad said you need to rest,” he informs his daddy with serious eyes.
Kyungsoo pinches Seungwoo’s chubby cheek. “I sure do,” he says, “did you have fun making the pancakes this morning?”
The little boy nods fervently. “Lots of fun!” He reveals. “Dad had to carry me ‘cause I couldn’t reach the pan.”
“Don’t worry about that, buddy, you’re going to grow up big and strong soon enough.”
Seungwoo nods again. “I know, I know.” He tells Kyungsoo, eyes gone serious again. “As tall and strong as dad.”
Kyungsoo raises his eyebrows. “Only dad? Daddy’s pretty strong and tall too, you know.”
His son looks at him like he’s stupid. “But you’re not as tall as dad… And dad said you didn’t drink enough milk while growing up, so this morning he gave me lots of milk!”
The smile on Kyungsoo’s face fades. “I’ll kill him,” he announces, gaze murderous. Seungwoo seems to realize the dangerous situation they’re suddenly in. He watches his shorter daddy who didn’t drink enough milk while growing up get to his feet, thinking his taller and stronger dad is probably in some kind of trouble, but not quite knowing what to do about it.
“Daddy, are you really going to kill dad?”
Kyungsoo ruffles his little boy’s hair, trying to keep another smile from blossoming. “I sure am.”
From Seungwoo’s perspective, he can’t possibly do anything to stop that from happening. He simply nods after considering that prospect for a long moment. “Okay then. Can I watch another episode?”
Kyungsoo doesn’t know if he wants to cry or laugh about his son’s indifference.
Despite the little boy’s coolness, Kyungsoo spots his gaze alternating between the TV and him. He smiles and approaches Jongin who is now washing his coffee mug in the sink. The look of seriousness on his face mirrors Seungwoo’s and Kyungsoo thinks it’s amazing how similar they are even though they’re not related by blood.
It must have been affinity, their fates pre-destined to cross from the beginning of time -- what other explanation can there be for the connection they both felt when they saw Seungwoo as a baby in the orphanage’s standard wooden crib?
Jongin works hard on cleaning the mug, doing it so meticulously he manages to wash away Kyungsoo’s ill-intentions too.
The smaller male can only imagine the scenario in the morning, and how serious they both must have looked while making the pancakes; Jongin working hard on drawing mickey-mouses, a supportive arm around Seungwoo’s waist to lift him up. At this moment, Kyungsoo really feels like he’s the luckiest man in this goddamn world.
While he takes his time to relish in his happiness, Jongin wipes the mug dry and dries his hands with a cloth, spinning around only to see Kyungsoo standing right behind him.
“Are you trying to murder me or something?” Jongin jokes, blissfully unaware of how close his question is from the truth.
Kyungsoo narrows his eyes. “You told our son I didn’t drink enough milk while growing up.”
The taller male doesn’t see a problem with that. “That’s true. I didn’t say anything wrong.”
“You’re asking for it.”
“You can come at me.” Jongin spreads his arms boldly, the ends of his lips curled in amusement.
Kyungsoo punches him lightly in the chest, then jabs either side of his hips. Over the years, however, Jongin has only grown accustomed to Kyungsoo’s style of punishment, which is why he doesn’t so much as react. He finds it cute that the way Kyungsoo hits him has not changed at all.
“Alright,” Jongin’s solution has always been to make a truce right afterwards. “Ready to make up?”
“You’re a pain in the ass, you know that?” Yet, despite these words, Kyungsoo leans up to kiss his lips.
“Now that is absurd.” The scandalized expression on Jongin’s face isn’t faked this time. “I’m pretty sure I bring a lot of pleasure to your ass.”
“Oh my god.”
Jongin laughs bashfully. “I’ll prepare breakfast and get Seungwoo ready on even days of the week so you can sleep in. We’ll take turns. Still a pain in the ass?”
Truthfully, Kyungsoo hasn’t thought of taking turns. He has always been fine with being the one to make sure that everyone starts their day right, a fixed routine he has gotten so used to, so he’s pretty much fine even if he has to do this for the rest of his life. But when Jongin’s suggestion sounds like the most tempting thing in this world, Kyungsoo realizes he might be wrong.
Who would be stupid enough to give up an opportunity to sleep a little more even if it meant destroying the routine he has gotten used to?
“Not so much anymore,” he admits with a grin.
At this point, he remembers his son is still watching them, and turns around to regard him. Jongin follows his gaze to see Seungwoo peeking at them, half of his face hidden behind the couch. Kyungsoo gives him a thumbs-up to let him know that he’s not going to kill his dad, and the little boy returns the gesture before he turns back to the TV, now reassured.
“Just rest today,” Jongin’s voice draws Kyungsoo’s attention back to him. He drags his hands up and down Kyungsoo’s arms. “You’ve been working so hard, love.”
It’s amazing that he’s still experiencing first-times with Jongin even though they’ve been together for such a long time, ever since they finally got over their fears and got together in their senior years of high school.
In Jongin’s embrace, Kyungsoo finds it impossible to not give himself credit where it’s due, even though it’s been ingrained into his personality to do so. All of the fatigue pours forth, looming in front of him, promising to swallow and wreck everything in its way -- only for the sound of Jongin’s steady breathing to tame it. It ebbs, pushed back by the tender smile on Jongin’s face, becoming something not even worth mentioning.
It’s all been worth it.
“Hmm.”
In the past they would stand at the doorstep hugging each other for the longest time, not wanting the day to come to an end, not wanting to leave each other just yet. It has been a long time since they had to do this, but right now, embracing in the kitchen with their son watching television in the background, it feels like nothing has changed.
At least not the feelings.
Jongin pats his back soothingly, the unvoiced I’m grateful for all that you’ve done transmitted through his loving touch, his sincere appreciation filling up the space around them.
“Even though you’re short and didn’t drink enough milk while growing up, I still love you very, very, very much.”
Kyungsoo slaps his husband’s back, a movement that attracts Seungwoo’s attention again. The little boy hops off the couch and races to his parents this time, arms flailing in a desperate bid to maintain his balance.
“Are you really mad at dad?” Seungwoo asks innocently, his eyes so wide and full of guilt that Kyungsoo finds himself letting go of Jongin in order to bend down and scoop his precious little boy into his arms.
He nuzzles into Seungwoo’s chubby cheek. “Not at all. Your dad just enjoys being spanked.”
Jongin cannot believe what he’s hearing. “Seriously?”
Kyungsoo starts walking away with Seungwoo in his arms. “You’re the dirty-minded one.”
“Let’s just laze at home today,” Jongin has obviously thought things through. He trails after Kyungsoo. “We’ll go to the park tomorrow and the zoo on Sunday.”
Seungwoo pumps his fist into the air. “Yes!”
At this, Kyungsoo stops dead in his tracks and swivels around. Jongin halts too, his stance relaxed and smile casual. This is the exact moment Kyungsoo gets his epiphany. His head hurts a little from too much sleep and Seungwoo is admittedly so much heavier now, but he understands.
The good days when everything goes as planned, the bad days when Seungwoo is determined to be the most difficult kid alive and Jongin annoys him -- all these things add up to all he has and can ever ask for.
He smiles. “Alright.”
Jongin seems to feel the exact same way, judging from the look in his eyes.
The last thing Kyungsoo remembers seeing before he fell asleep is the red glow of the digital clock resting on the bedside table, the digits 01:47 flashing. The last thing he will remember seeing before he falls asleep tonight is the sight of Jongin smiling as the afternoon sunshine lights up the world around them and the sound of their son’s laughter, ringing sweetly in his ears.
END.
A/N:
I actually wrote this some time back but delayed posting it here bc I'm not very proud of it!!!! But then again since I've already written it I decided I would just put this out here I think.... haha....
Kyungsoo wakes up to something different one day.
The last thing Kyungsoo remembers seeing is the red glow of the digital clock resting on the bedside table, the digits 01:47 momentarily making him wonder when was the last time he had gotten a good night’s rest before he practically passed out from exhaustion.
For Kyungsoo, it has always been about routine. His typical day begins at 7.30AM. He’s always the first to get out of bed after snoozing once (twice when he has had an exceptionally late night), showers and freshens up in record time of 15 minutes, and is in the kitchen before 8AM rolls around. There, he expertly whips up breakfast -- always American style; bacon, eggs and sausages for him and Jongin, pancakes with maple syrup for Seungwoo. It’s easy to make once he has mastered it, and after being in charge of preparing breakfast for nearly 6 years now, Kyungsoo is more than just well-equipped.
Once he’s done making coffee for the adults and pouring milk into a glass for his son, he heads for the room at the end of the hallway. He never fails to sneak a peek at the bed in the master bedroom when he passes by, and has in recent years taken to kicking the lump beneath the blanket if he sees it there. There’s no other way to wake Jongin up when his husband is perfectly capable (and has proven himself so) of sleeping through the loudest thunderstorms, even when a terrified Seungwoo would run into their room with tears in his eyes thinking the world is about to end.
The alarm clock alone is usually enough to wake Jongin up though, and Kyungsoo doesn’t have to make a detour that frequently. Seungwoo is exactly like Jongin in terms of how much he likes sleeping. He throws morning tantrums on difficult days and Kyungsoo hates dealing with that the most -- hates having to drag a screaming kid out of bed, hates having to force him into decent clothes, hates that he still loses his patience which only makes him feel like shit afterwards.
Despite that, Seungwoo is an angel on most days. He gives his daddy a morning kiss the moment his eyelids flutter open, and goes to shower without complaining. More often than not, Kyungsoo doesn’t trail after him immediately. Instead, he would remain right where he is just watching his son, a 5-year-old warrior who no longer needs daddy to carry him to the bathroom. Then a tinge of sadness would sink in at just how quickly his little boy is growing up, and how he and Jongin are not getting any younger too.
When all of that is done, they go to the dining table together for breakfast. On days Jongin doesn’t sleep through multiple alarms and Kyungsoo’s shadowless kicks, they would arrive to the sight of said male in his seat, sipping coffee with a sleepy smile. Otherwise, he would rush into the living room only when Seungwoo has already started on breakfast, hastily doing up his buttons and mumbling something along the lines of so bloody sleepy.
Jongin gets a morning kiss from Seungwoo first, before he leans over to kiss Kyungsoo’s lips as gratitude for the breakfast he has, the son they love, the home they call theirs. Dirty dishes are left in the sink after breakfast is done, to be paid attention to only when Jongin gets home from work (he usually does before Kyungsoo).
After that, they set off on their respective routes -- Jongin drives Seungwoo to the childcare centre, Kyungsoo goes straight to work. It’s a sort of balance they’ve established and have been very comfortable with, foreseeing no need for any changes in the near future.
Then Editor Kyungsoo drags himself through the tedium of work, fingers flying across the keyboard with practiced ease as he studies manuscript after manuscript. A long day comes to an end at 6PM (unless there’s a deadline he has to meet) and he goes home to his husband and son watching television together, their common fondness for Pokemon both endearing and amusing.
Sometimes Kyungsoo cooks dinner, and sometimes Jongin buys food from outside. They always make it a point to eat together unless something urgent crops up, finding their hearts warmest when they talk about their days over chicken and soup. Jongin likes to tuck Seungwoo into bed while Kyungsoo bustles around ensuring everything is organized and back in their original positions. It is a quirk Jongin has come to love and appreciate, mostly due to how much convenience it has brought to him.
Then they would curl up in bed and fall asleep in each other’s arms, or do more if they’re not too tired for it.
So when Kyungsoo wakes up to silence and sunlight pouring through the windows this morning, he knows something is amiss. It’s not how he usually wakes up to his alarm blaring, and there’s nothing warm pressed against his body. It takes him a minute to regain his senses, looking to the bedside table when they return.
The digits 11:59 are unfathomable, so unbelievable that Kyungsoo pinches himself to make sure he’s not dreaming. When the pain convinces him that he is in reality, and that it is indeed this late, he sits up with a jolt, the blanket pooling around his waist.
It’s Friday. He has work. Jongin has work. Seungwoo has to go to the childcare centre.
Kyungsoo’s legs feel slightly wobbly when he gets to his feet, the world spinning too quickly for a moment. He blinks away the haze in his eyes and clears his throat to get rid of any remaining tendrils of sleep. The living room is the first place he heads for, becoming increasingly confused when he hears the television, Ash Ketchum’s familiar voice doing nothing to ease his perplexment.
It’s as if the boundary between day and night has melted away, the transition long gone, for the sight of Jongin and Seungwoo sitting on the couch watching Pokemon together burns into his eyes.
Jongin spots him. “Morning, babe.” He gets to his feet, tearing himself away from Seungwoo’s grasp.
His son does too. “Morning, daddy.” Seungwoo beams, his baby teeth accentuating the cuteness of his smile. He’s still in his jammies, but his hair has been brushed and his eyes are lively.
Kyungsoo scratches the back of his head. “Already afternoon,” he says, allowing Jongin to pull him into his strong arms. “So what’s going on? Did I sleep through Friday?”
“It is Friday,” Jongin mutters as he presses his lips against Kyungsoo’s forehead. “We’re just playing a little game of truancy right now.” His kisses shift lower-- Kyungsoo’s nose, cheeks, and finally his lips.
The crazy thing is that Jongin’s words sank in the moment they were uttered, and Kyungsoo understands the gravity of their present behaviour, but he can’t really bring himself to object or care at all. He breaks into a grin and buries his face in Jongin’s shoulder.
“Man, it’s been years since I last did anything like this.”
“I called in sick and informed Seungwoo’s teacher this morning, so you’re actually the only one in trouble right now.”
That gets Kyungsoo. “What?” He pulls back with wide eyes. Then he remembers the deadline he had cleared yesterday, which means there’s barely any work today, and he’s not going to get into too much trouble for being absent even without prior notice or valid reason. “Oh well, I think it should be fine. I’ll just call Joonmyun later.”
Jongin laughs. “Come on, you have that little faith in me? I was kidding. I called him earlier too and told him you’re sick.”
The smaller male grins. He nips Jongin’s neck playfully, then remembers they’re in plain sight of their son and abruptly stops. It doesn’t matter at all, though, because Seungwoo’s eyes are glued to the television and he hasn’t paid the slightest ounce of attention to his parents smooching each other’s faces off.
“What did you make him for breakfast?”
“We made pancakes together.” Jongin declares, his face smug. “They turned out great.” Then he pats Kyungsoo’s butt. “Go freshen up, I’ll have pancakes and coffee ready for you.”
Kyungsoo pecks his husband’s cheek once more, inhaling the familiar scent of the aftershave they share, absorbing the sight of their son whose gaze is still fixated intently on the television, and complies with the biggest smile.
-
The micky-mouse shaped pancakes really shouldn’t have came as a surprise. Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow at Jongin who only lifts the corners of his lips further.
“Aren’t they cute?” He asks eagerly, and presses Kyungsoo for an answer as the smaller male remains reticent while studying the pancakes of various shapes and sizes on his plate. “Guess who made the mickey-mouse shaped ones.”
Kyungsoo chuckles to himself. “I’m going with Seungwoo. You probably made this hideous-looking...blob.” He pokes at the disfigured pancake with his fork, trying to picture what kind of expression Jongin had been wearing when he made this.
His husband takes offense at that. “What do you mean by that?” He raises his voice, but nothing in his tone indicates hostility. “I made the mickey-mouse pancakes!” When Kyungsoo watches Jongin’s lower lip jut out into a pout, he suddenly feels like they’ve transcended time and space and became high-school kids again, getting all emotional over something as minor as this.
He nearly forgets to respond to his childlike husband, nostalgia overwhelming him.
Jongin goes on, interpreting Kyungsoo’s silence as disbelief. “Really!” He insists firmly. “I made the mickey-mouse pancakes. Seungwoo’s not very good at this, not as good as I am. Those pancakes are his.” He points at the sad looking blobs.
Only Jongin would fight with his son for Kyungsoo’s praise. But this is precisely why Kyungsoo fell for him. Life’s not entertaining without someone like Jongin who is childlike at the right time, reminding him that it’s so much more fun to go back to being a kid sometimes.
Kyungsoo stabs the mickey-mouse pancake and stuffs it into his mouth, all the while laughing. “You’re ridiculous,” he says between mouthfuls, “completely out of your mind.”
Now contented with the knowledge that Kyungsoo knows he’s the real masterchef behind these beautifully shaped mickey-mouse pancakes, Jongin gestures at the coffee.
“Try that too. I made it the way you like it. Two teaspoons of milk and from the back.” The last part of his sentence takes an unexpectedly long time to register, and when it finally does, Kyungsoo’s jaw drops.
“You!”
“I’m ridiculous and completely out of my mind.” Jongin quotes, tranquil expression unruffled. “I know, I know, you already told me.”
Seungwoo is still very much caught up in his cartoon, and he would not have understood even if he heard their conversation, but Kyungsoo still kicks Jongin’s foot under the table. His husband puts up the most exaggerated look of pain he can possibly muster, eyebrows pulled into a tight knot.
“Where has your conscience gone?” He asks in a deliberate whimper. “You haven't been communicating with it enough. Is this really how you treat the love of your life who made you delicious breakfast and got you a day off?”
That reminds Kyungsoo of something. He ignores Jongin’s other baseless accusations, focusing only on the most important thing. “Did my alarm ring at all this morning?”
Jongin stops goofing around too, his dramatic expression instantly morphing into his usual gentle one.
“It did,” he replies, “but you slept right through the first one.”
“Huh.”
“You’ve never done that,” Jongin continues, obviously happy that he knows this much about Kyungsoo because they’ve been sleeping together for long enough. “So I thought you could use a day off and deactivated all the other alarms. You got home really late last night, didn’t you?”
“Deadline,” Kyungsoo explains with a sigh. “I guess I really needed today off. I keep forgetting I’m no longer the same guy who could survive three days with only a few hours of sleep and still power through everything. Man, growing older sure sucks.”
The taller male laughs and bends forward so they can make intimate eye-contact. “But growing old together feels pretty amazing, you know.” He says, smile so sincere Kyungsoo cannot help himself from kissing him.
“I know.”
Jongin crinkles his nose. “Maple syrup,” he says while licking his lips, and Kyungsoo laughs.
The coffee turns out amazing, and Kyungsoo already feels so much better by the time he finishes his brunch. Jongin shoos him away, long arms gathering the plates to be washed. Helpless and in the mood to be pampered anyway, Kyungsoo doesn’t even try to act and turns away instantly, walking over to join their son on the couch.
He plops down just when the episode draws to an end, and Seungwoo, now at liberty to pay attention to his daddy, rolls over and crawls onto Kyungsoo.
“Dad said you need to rest,” he informs his daddy with serious eyes.
Kyungsoo pinches Seungwoo’s chubby cheek. “I sure do,” he says, “did you have fun making the pancakes this morning?”
The little boy nods fervently. “Lots of fun!” He reveals. “Dad had to carry me ‘cause I couldn’t reach the pan.”
“Don’t worry about that, buddy, you’re going to grow up big and strong soon enough.”
Seungwoo nods again. “I know, I know.” He tells Kyungsoo, eyes gone serious again. “As tall and strong as dad.”
Kyungsoo raises his eyebrows. “Only dad? Daddy’s pretty strong and tall too, you know.”
His son looks at him like he’s stupid. “But you’re not as tall as dad… And dad said you didn’t drink enough milk while growing up, so this morning he gave me lots of milk!”
The smile on Kyungsoo’s face fades. “I’ll kill him,” he announces, gaze murderous. Seungwoo seems to realize the dangerous situation they’re suddenly in. He watches his shorter daddy who didn’t drink enough milk while growing up get to his feet, thinking his taller and stronger dad is probably in some kind of trouble, but not quite knowing what to do about it.
“Daddy, are you really going to kill dad?”
Kyungsoo ruffles his little boy’s hair, trying to keep another smile from blossoming. “I sure am.”
From Seungwoo’s perspective, he can’t possibly do anything to stop that from happening. He simply nods after considering that prospect for a long moment. “Okay then. Can I watch another episode?”
Kyungsoo doesn’t know if he wants to cry or laugh about his son’s indifference.
Despite the little boy’s coolness, Kyungsoo spots his gaze alternating between the TV and him. He smiles and approaches Jongin who is now washing his coffee mug in the sink. The look of seriousness on his face mirrors Seungwoo’s and Kyungsoo thinks it’s amazing how similar they are even though they’re not related by blood.
It must have been affinity, their fates pre-destined to cross from the beginning of time -- what other explanation can there be for the connection they both felt when they saw Seungwoo as a baby in the orphanage’s standard wooden crib?
Jongin works hard on cleaning the mug, doing it so meticulously he manages to wash away Kyungsoo’s ill-intentions too.
The smaller male can only imagine the scenario in the morning, and how serious they both must have looked while making the pancakes; Jongin working hard on drawing mickey-mouses, a supportive arm around Seungwoo’s waist to lift him up. At this moment, Kyungsoo really feels like he’s the luckiest man in this goddamn world.
While he takes his time to relish in his happiness, Jongin wipes the mug dry and dries his hands with a cloth, spinning around only to see Kyungsoo standing right behind him.
“Are you trying to murder me or something?” Jongin jokes, blissfully unaware of how close his question is from the truth.
Kyungsoo narrows his eyes. “You told our son I didn’t drink enough milk while growing up.”
The taller male doesn’t see a problem with that. “That’s true. I didn’t say anything wrong.”
“You’re asking for it.”
“You can come at me.” Jongin spreads his arms boldly, the ends of his lips curled in amusement.
Kyungsoo punches him lightly in the chest, then jabs either side of his hips. Over the years, however, Jongin has only grown accustomed to Kyungsoo’s style of punishment, which is why he doesn’t so much as react. He finds it cute that the way Kyungsoo hits him has not changed at all.
“Alright,” Jongin’s solution has always been to make a truce right afterwards. “Ready to make up?”
“You’re a pain in the ass, you know that?” Yet, despite these words, Kyungsoo leans up to kiss his lips.
“Now that is absurd.” The scandalized expression on Jongin’s face isn’t faked this time. “I’m pretty sure I bring a lot of pleasure to your ass.”
“Oh my god.”
Jongin laughs bashfully. “I’ll prepare breakfast and get Seungwoo ready on even days of the week so you can sleep in. We’ll take turns. Still a pain in the ass?”
Truthfully, Kyungsoo hasn’t thought of taking turns. He has always been fine with being the one to make sure that everyone starts their day right, a fixed routine he has gotten so used to, so he’s pretty much fine even if he has to do this for the rest of his life. But when Jongin’s suggestion sounds like the most tempting thing in this world, Kyungsoo realizes he might be wrong.
Who would be stupid enough to give up an opportunity to sleep a little more even if it meant destroying the routine he has gotten used to?
“Not so much anymore,” he admits with a grin.
At this point, he remembers his son is still watching them, and turns around to regard him. Jongin follows his gaze to see Seungwoo peeking at them, half of his face hidden behind the couch. Kyungsoo gives him a thumbs-up to let him know that he’s not going to kill his dad, and the little boy returns the gesture before he turns back to the TV, now reassured.
“Just rest today,” Jongin’s voice draws Kyungsoo’s attention back to him. He drags his hands up and down Kyungsoo’s arms. “You’ve been working so hard, love.”
It’s amazing that he’s still experiencing first-times with Jongin even though they’ve been together for such a long time, ever since they finally got over their fears and got together in their senior years of high school.
In Jongin’s embrace, Kyungsoo finds it impossible to not give himself credit where it’s due, even though it’s been ingrained into his personality to do so. All of the fatigue pours forth, looming in front of him, promising to swallow and wreck everything in its way -- only for the sound of Jongin’s steady breathing to tame it. It ebbs, pushed back by the tender smile on Jongin’s face, becoming something not even worth mentioning.
It’s all been worth it.
“Hmm.”
In the past they would stand at the doorstep hugging each other for the longest time, not wanting the day to come to an end, not wanting to leave each other just yet. It has been a long time since they had to do this, but right now, embracing in the kitchen with their son watching television in the background, it feels like nothing has changed.
At least not the feelings.
Jongin pats his back soothingly, the unvoiced I’m grateful for all that you’ve done transmitted through his loving touch, his sincere appreciation filling up the space around them.
“Even though you’re short and didn’t drink enough milk while growing up, I still love you very, very, very much.”
Kyungsoo slaps his husband’s back, a movement that attracts Seungwoo’s attention again. The little boy hops off the couch and races to his parents this time, arms flailing in a desperate bid to maintain his balance.
“Are you really mad at dad?” Seungwoo asks innocently, his eyes so wide and full of guilt that Kyungsoo finds himself letting go of Jongin in order to bend down and scoop his precious little boy into his arms.
He nuzzles into Seungwoo’s chubby cheek. “Not at all. Your dad just enjoys being spanked.”
Jongin cannot believe what he’s hearing. “Seriously?”
Kyungsoo starts walking away with Seungwoo in his arms. “You’re the dirty-minded one.”
“Let’s just laze at home today,” Jongin has obviously thought things through. He trails after Kyungsoo. “We’ll go to the park tomorrow and the zoo on Sunday.”
Seungwoo pumps his fist into the air. “Yes!”
At this, Kyungsoo stops dead in his tracks and swivels around. Jongin halts too, his stance relaxed and smile casual. This is the exact moment Kyungsoo gets his epiphany. His head hurts a little from too much sleep and Seungwoo is admittedly so much heavier now, but he understands.
The good days when everything goes as planned, the bad days when Seungwoo is determined to be the most difficult kid alive and Jongin annoys him -- all these things add up to all he has and can ever ask for.
He smiles. “Alright.”
Jongin seems to feel the exact same way, judging from the look in his eyes.
The last thing Kyungsoo remembers seeing before he fell asleep is the red glow of the digital clock resting on the bedside table, the digits 01:47 flashing. The last thing he will remember seeing before he falls asleep tonight is the sight of Jongin smiling as the afternoon sunshine lights up the world around them and the sound of their son’s laughter, ringing sweetly in his ears.
END.
A/N:
I actually wrote this some time back but delayed posting it here bc I'm not very proud of it!!!! But then again since I've already written it I decided I would just put this out here I think.... haha....