“Appa?” Chanhun looks up at Chanhee in confusion, his brows furrowed together as he turned his attention to Byunghun seeing that Chanhee wasn’t really paying attention to his questions and was instead too focused on wearing that hopeful expression on the face as he faced the younger.

Byunghun sighs and bends down to Chanhun’s level,

“Sweetheart...”

He gently ruffles the child’s fringe, looking at his son sincerely in his eye. There was no point in keeping the truth any longer anyway, the boy was already 5 he deserves to know the truth. As for Chanhee, Byunghun can’t keep on protecting the man either.

“You have two appas.” Byunghun finally breathes out.

Chanhun just frowns in further confusion at Byunghun’s statement. At that tender age he didn’t understand what his father was driving at. Ever since he had started recognizing things around him Chanhun has been living with the fact that he only has one parent.

“Chanhun has two appas?” The child squeaked as he balled his little right fist up and brought it to his eye, rubbing the feature delicately indicating that he was sleepy.

“Yes, Chanhun has two appas. Byunghun appa and Chanhee appa.” Chanhee mimics Byunghun’s actions as he too, bent down to the child’s height trying to explain the situation.

“But appa said I only have one appa.” Tears started welling up in Chanhun’s eyes, a little pressured by the whole situation. He did love Chanhee samcheon but he was confused and not to mention a little hurt. Why would his appa lie to him?

Byunghun bit his lower lip, a little unsure of how to further explain the situation to his precious son without hurting the boy or confusing the boy further. Clearly he didn’t want Chanhee’s son to hate his own father as well.

“Appa lied.” Byunghun finally admitted.

“Chanhun has two appas, but Byunghun appa selfishly wanted Chanhun to only love me. That’s why appa lied.”

“No!”

Both Byunghun and Chanhun jumped at Chanhee’s loud booming negative injection.

“No. Your Byunghun appa is not selfish Chanhun ah. Chanhee appa is... Back then Chanhee appa didn’t want Chanhun so Chanhee appa left. I’m sorry...” Chanhee bowed his head low, he didn’t want Byunghun to bear the brunt of something he caused, it just wasn’t going to be fair for him.

“Appa didn’t want Chanhun…?”  The little child finally burst into tears as the flood gates let loose releasing his teardrops like school children escaping from school when the bell rings.

“Come here sweetheart.” Byunghun quickly takes his crying son into his arms as he lifted the boy off the ground hoisting him on his left hip and patting his back in a soothing rhythm in an attempt to comfort his son.

“Shhh, it’s okay. Appa wants you, appa will never leave you. Chanhee appa too, the both of us will never leave you again.” The younger sent a death glare to Chanhee as he walked off the premises without giving the latter an answer.

But Chanhee was satisfied, Byunghun had referred to Chanhee as Chanhun’s father. Maybe it was meant as a silent acceptance to his proposal after all.

===

The sunlight flittered through the day curtains as Myungsoo sat on his plush maroon velvet seat in front of the television set reading the day’s newspaper when the Kim’s new household helper, Sang In, announced Byunghun’s arrival to her employer. A gentle smile played on Myungsoo’s lips as he puts down his newspaper as Byunghun stepped out from behind Sang In.

“Hey, what makes you drop by so early this morning?” The older guided Byunghun to the seats as he waved Sang In off to prepare cups of ginseng tea and some butter cookies for their guest.

“Myungsoo hyung.”

Myungsoo frowns in concern at the seemingly disoriented boy.

“Chanhee hyung asked me out. He wants me to get together with him. He wants to be Chanhun’s appa.”

Myungsoo’s heart dropped at the statement. Seeing how the boy looked pretty pressured, he knew that Byunghun was seriously taking Chanhee’s proposal to consideration. And that meant that he could lose Byunghun forever. But Myungsoo was willing to sacrifice the boy in order for him to be happy. Byunghun had gone through too much, he deserved every bit of happiness in the world and Myungsoo was willing to do anything and give up anything to see a genuinely blissful smile on Byunghuns face.

“Byunghun ah, do you love Chanhee?”

“I do. I love him more than anything in the world.” Byunghun finally confessed, breaking down the walls he had built so high each time Chanhee had hurt him. He refused to admit it previously but he does, Byunghun loves Chanhee with all his heart.

“Then why are you questioning yourself?” Myungsoo takes Byunghun’s hands into his own, rubbing warmth into them, providing solace to the other.

“I’m afraid of getting all patched up then being torn apart piece by piece again.” Byunghun confessed finally crumbling like cooked spaghetti into Myungsoo’s arms as the latter gladly took the smaller into his embrace, the boy’s hair and burying his face in the silky goodness whispering soft tones of “it’s going to be okay”. And Byunghun cried, the emotions he’s be trying so hard to keep pouring out like cereal from a tilted box.

“Byunghun…”

The younger’s words struck a chord in his heart of how Chanhee had hurt the boy time and again. Byunghun had made a valid point, he didn’t want to see the younger getting hurt and suffering once again. But what could he do? He was already married, tied down to his wife. It would be practically illegal for him to ask Byunghun to be his, to be his to love and protect.

“Byunghun, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“I’ve loved you from a long time ago. The first time I landed my eyes on you, I already fell for you.”

Powered by his own confession and rushing emotions, Myungsoo leaned forward and grabbed Byunghun’s cheeks roughly with both his hands, fo