It takes two to tango, three to jive. And in the Kims case, all four of them has to learn to boogie in the unit they call family. 

Kim Minhyuk thinks children are a different species of their own.

He felt this way when his sons were little, and tried to communicate with them like how he would with the boys in the army - by giving them structure, commands and training. His older child hated it. Jongin was always sullen and quiet at home, and even when he tried to engage his oldest child in acitvities he thought all boys would enjoy, Minhyuk never seemed to be able to make him happy. With Jongin, Minhyuk always felt regretful, like he has failed him as a parent. 

His younger child was the complete opposite - Jongkook thrived under his strict methods of nurturing and felt safe within the boundaries that he placed for him. To watch him grow up and accomplish all the things Minhyuk knows to be good for Jongkook - discipline and strength - he feels like maybe he hasn't failed as a parent. And he is forever thankful for that. 

As his sons grew older, he still has no idea how to communicate with them, still opting to be the way he know how to be - the only way he knows to be - an authoritarian. And even if they are now a lot older, he still wants to keep them under his wing, to protect them from anything that may possibly hurt them. And in Jongin's case, he knows, he just knows, that society will not treat him kindly. That life will not treat him kindly if he likes boys instead of girls. That he will never have children of his own.

And that pains him. 

But today, Minhyuk sees a side of Jongin that he has never seen before - a happy, contented child - a side that he has tried so hard but never achieved.

If being with this tall, lanky boy is what will make Jongin happy, then maybe Minhyuk has a bit more to learn about life - something that he has failed to learn during the past thirty-five years of his child's life. That maybe there's more to life than hiding from pain and possible hurt. 

That maybe there's more to love than protection. That maybe, it's okay to let go. Sometimes. 

Placing his spoon down, he directs his most piercing gaze to the boy standing beside his child. "What makes you think that you can make Jongin happy?" 

Insung stutters when he hears his father's question. That was not what he expected from the sliver-haired man that he has not seen for the past few years. This is the first time that he brings someone back home and really, the first time that he is out out of the proverbial closet. 

He was expecting some shouting, maybe some hitting and even some disowning to happen. He wasn't expecting this, whatever this is. 

"I... He means the world to me, Sir. And I will always place his needs above mine." Kwangsoo responds, in a much more confident manner than Insung has ever seen him, as he squeezes his large hand. 

"Jongin-ah, it's going to be hard. You'll not be able to have your own children, and well, people are going to talk behind your back. You sure you want this?" His father swings his attention curtly from Kwangsoo back to him as he continues his questioning. 

And he was definitely not expecting this. Not expecting his father to speak to him with so much tenderness, with so much love in his eyes that they were shining. He has never seen this side of his father - he was never loving nor affectionate. 

It always seemed like Appa was going to disapprove, everything he did seemed to have disappointed him. Insung just never thought that he would understand. 

Maybe he was wrong all along, maybe his father wasn't as one dimensional as he thought. 

"As long as you guys are behind me Appa, I believe everything will work out." 

Is now a good time to add that he changed his name? 

At first, Lee Jinhye was really annoyed by her husband.

He always wanted her to to relay messages to their children, and never wanted to speak to them directly. She knows that it's not because he doesn't love them, but more like he didn't really know how to talk to them. But really, he should at least try.  

When she tried to talk to him about Jongkook and his infatuation with his ex-girlfriend, he had shrugged it off, saying that Jongkook is old enough to know what to do.

(As if he does. She really needs to set him right soon. It's getting quite hard to ignore her presence, when she's seated right there in front of them at the table.) 

But anyway, when she heard what her man just said to Jongin, her chest had sagged in relief. She had no way of expecting how he would react - oh yes, she does know that he is all gruff and rough on the outside, but a major softie on the inside. But Jongin has always been a sore soft spot for him that even she had found it difficult to talk to him about it. Maybe they can do that tonight. Maybe she will even reward him.

Maybe.

"And you know we always will, Jongin-ah." She says as she pats his hand fondly, gesturing for the two boys to sit down. "This is really such a pleasant surprise. What brings you back here - was it Kwangsoo who convinced you?" She beams at the boy. He must be a good influence for her Jongin. 

The new addition to the family opens his rather wide mouth and becomes flustered, blushing slightly as her son smiles at him, his gaze loving.

"Yeah, he's close to his family and wants to meet mine. But that's not the only reason why he's here, Eomma." 

Oh? 

"I'm also back because Jo