At seven months old, Baby Henry was pretty much the cutest ing thing Donghae had ever laid his eyes on. That child was his everything-literally. He couldn't go a single minute without thinking of his precious baby boy, who already at seven months was beginning to look exactly like him. Whenever he looked at Baby Henry, all of his stress of works flew of the window. Baby Henry is his muse. He and Hyuk’s apple of eyes. Their world.

And, because he was so in love with his Hyukkie –yeah Donghae is possessive fish, he shut off the alarm in their bedroom and took the baby monitor off of Hyukjae’s nightstand. He knew that Hyukjae would sleep for hours with the distractions gone, because Baby Henry had been so fussy the night before, constantly wanting to be fed. 

So, with the baby monitor in one hand, he shut the bedroom door with the other and made his way to Baby Henry’s nursery, where they've finally been putting him to sleep. The door was wide open, and he could hear Baby Henry gurgling in his crib. That was one thing he loved about Baby Henry; that child made the most random noises he had ever heard. Stepping up to the crib, he immediately caught Baby Henry’s attention.

The baby kicked his feet out and raised his arms up, knowing without a doubt that Donghae would pick him up. He always got the best cuddles from his Appa. But, sometimes, he got confused.

"u-ma!" He said once Donghae had lifted him up. 

Placing a few kisses to his little baby's face, he grinned. "Not quite, baby. It's Appa today. Umma is sleeping, because someone wants to stay permanently attached to his s all night." 

He carried Baby Henry out of the nursery after checking to see if he had a dirty diaper, (he didn't, because Hyukjae made a separate schedule to go in every few hours and change the diaper regardless), and made his way downstairs. 

"Not that I blame you," He continued. "I would stay on them all night too, but we love Umma, and we've got to realize that our little wants can't be filled all of the time. Umma’s gotta sleep too, you know. You're not the only one here who needs to sleep," He used his baby voice, which he was not embarrassed about, and tickled his fingers across Baby Henry’s round tummy. 

Baby Henry laughed and showed off his four little teeth, shiny and white, and damn sharp. Donghae got a firsthand encounter with one of Baby Henry’s teeth with his finger, and it was not pretty. And if anyone asks, his eyes did not water out of instinct. His seven month old son did not hurt him. Nope. 

"And since Umma is sleeping, you get to have breakfast with Appa!" He cheered. He made sure that Baby Henry could see everything he was doing, because the little bugger was a curious thing, and he was nosy as well. Two very fine traits he inherited from his mother. So, opening the fridge, he made sure that Baby Henry could see inside the cold box. "How does some of Umma’s milk sound? I can answer that for you. Delicious." 

He took a bottle out and went about reheating it. Baby Henry sat in the napper that Hyukjae always had on the counter and watched, making sure to entertain his Appa with spit bubbles and random outbursts. It worked, too, because Appa would always look over at him and smile and the holes would appear on his cheeks, too! That's how Baby Henry knows he's doing a good job at keeping his Appa entertained. 

"Now, son." Donghae addressed him, holding the bottle. "I know you don't like the bottle, and you would very much prefer to have the real thing. I want you to have the real thing. But Umma," He made a serious face. "Umma insists that you drink from the bottle." He held his hands up when Baby Henry kicked out his feet. "I'm not the bad guy here. This is the best you're going to get for now, and because you don't know what I'm saying, you're also going to have it for dinner because Appa," He pointed to himself. "Is getting the real thing tonight." 

Baby Henry just giggled at his silly Appa and opened his mouth, waiting for his bottle. It was either that or throw a fit, and he was hungry, and his tummy was making squirming noises. So, he had to make due. The milk was still good, he just missed his Umma so much. 

Because he could now support his own bottle, Donghae began to search for his own breakfast. Should he make something or just eat some toast? Pancakes did sound good, but Baby Henry went nuts for pancakes and syrup. Oh well. If it made his baby smile, and forced him to share his own breakfast, then so be it. He'd share. 

He left Baby Henry in the napper while he mixed the batter and put the pan onto the hot stove, all while making silly faces at Baby Henry, which he shouldn't while his baby was eating. He really needed to get ahold of himself. He poured the batter into the pan and searched the cupboards for some chocolate chips-Baby Henry’s weakness. He knew that Hyukjae would have a conniption if he found out that Donghae was feeding their son chocolate, but see, Donghae and Baby Henry had an understanding. If Baby Henry didn't tell, Appa didn't tell.

He sprinkled an ample amount of the chips into the batter and waited for it to brown enough to flip. Baby Henry had drained his bottle and it was now sitting in his lap. Donghae picked it up, surprised that Baby Henry hadn't lobbed it yet, and put it in the dishwasher. 

"Is Baby Henry still hungry?" He asked, running his hands through Baby Henry’s hair. It was soft and feathery. 

"Pa," Baby Henry answered, reaching up and latching onto Donghae’s hand. "Pa! Pa!" 

Donghae smiled and flipped the pancake with his free hand. "That's right, lovebug." 

Because Baby Henry had such a strong grip on his hand, he had to pour and flip the other two pancakes he was making and stack all three onto a plate with one hand. He tore off a piece of pancake and blew on it, making sure it was just the right temperature, before handing it to Baby Henry. In an instant, the baby let go of Donghae’s hand and reached for the piece of fluffy pancake. 

"Ooo," He said, stuffing the food into his mouth. While he was distracted with that, Donghae got out the syrup and a bottle of orange juice. He unbuckled Baby Henry and lifted him up. 

"Wanna help Appa eat breakfast?" He asked, and he took Baby Henry’s shriek as a yes.

-

"You've got to be kidding me," Donghae smiled. It was a few hours after breakfast and he and Baby Henry were sitting in the home gym, working out. Or, he was working out, and Baby Henry was sitting on one of Hyukjae’s yoga mats, wearing his cute little workout clothes, complete with tennis shoes. 

Baby Henry just let out a round of giggles and climbed all over Donghae. 

"Again, you've got to be kidding me." They had just wrestled, or what Donghae called wrestling. It involved a lot of tickling and Baby Henry hitting him in the face while laughing like mad. "Did you just beat Appa at wrestling?" 

Baby Henry, who had clambered up onto his chest, falling over onto his plump bottom more than once, looked down at him and laughed again, kicking his feet. "Pa!" He squealed. "Pa!" 

Donghae threw his arm over his eyes and sighed. "Beaten by my own son," He lamented dramatically. "My seven month old son. I guess it's time for me to hang up the gloves and retire while I've still got my dignity." 

He stood, tossing Baby Henry into the air once he was upright. Baby Henry loved it, and he let Donghae know by screaming with joy. Once he was back in his Appa’s arms, he clapped his hands once before resting his head on Donghae’s chest. 

"Oh," Donghae rubbed Baby Henry’s back and left the gym. "Is my little baby tired?" He rubbed his baby's back and carried him out of the home gym. It was nearing eleven o'clock, and he was already bone tired. Who knew spending a few hours with an infant could make you so tired? Donghae had all of the respect in the world for Hyukjae. How Hyukjae woke up at six every morning with Baby Henry and didn't go to sleep until after ten at night was beyond him. But, he was going to make it his mission to stay home more often and give Hyukjae the rest he deserves. After all, Hyukjae was pregnant with their second child. He didn't want to overwhelm him. 

He walked out of the gym and down the hallway into the den. He collapsed on the couch (carefully, because he was holding the most precious thing in the world in his arms), and laid back, making himself comfortable. He shoved a pillow under his head and closed his eyes. He supported Baby Henry’s body with one hand across his baby's bottom, and he used the other to rub circles on his back. He knew by the gently sounds his son was making that he was asleep already. That child could fall asleep in the middle of a tornado. 

He smiled to himself when he felt Baby Henry kick his little leg out. He'd inherited that trait from Hyukjae, who was always kicking Donghae in the middle of the night. It was more endearing than frustrating, even if it did earn him some bruises. Neither of them could help it, so who was he to get angry at it? He leaned up and pressed his lips to Baby Henry’s soft, wispy hair. 

"I love you, baby." He whispered to his sleeping son. "More than you'll ever know. Really, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. Well, besides Umma. You both mean so much to me, and I'm going to do everything I can to show it. So, just bear with me, okay? I'm gonna try as hard as I can." 

Those were promises he intended to keep. He would protect his family with his life. 

-

Hyukjae wasn't sure how he woke up. He was sleeping one minute, and the next, he was staring at the ceiling. He blinked his eyes and yawned out of habit, even though he really didn't feel that tired. The sun was streaming through the window, which gave him a hint on what time it was. Wait, what? He sat up and looked at the alarm clock. It read 11:38. It must be eleven at night. The sun really wasn't up. He was imagining things because how could he have slept until eleven in the morning? Unless..,

Donghae. 

It was clear who the culprit was. He wasn't sure if he was happy or angry at Donghae. He would make his mind up on his way downstairs. He checked Baby Henry’s nursery, and sure enough, his baby wasn't in there. So Donghae must've shut off his alarm and taken Baby Henry somewhere so that he could sleep. The gesture was thoughtful, but he was conflicted. He'd never wanted to sleep this late. It made him feel inadequate as a parent. It was a weird thing. 

He made his way downstairs, listening for any indication that Donghae and Baby Henry were in the house, but it was quiet. He frowned and made his way to the kitchen, glancing in the den. He stopped and doubled back, looking back into the room. Once he saw what had stopped him in the first place, he placed a hand over his heart and cooed. 

Donghae was laying on his back, supporting Baby Henry, who was laying across his chest, with one hand, and the other rested on top of his baby's leg. It was the most precious sight he'd seen to date and he searched for Donghae’s phone, knowing for a fact that Donghae always left it plugged into the hallway outlet. He grabbed it and took a few too many shots of the adorable sight. 

After the tenth click of the camera, Donghae opened his eyes. Hyukjae smiled at him. 

"Hey, baby," He said, blinking a few times to adjust his eyesight. "What time is it?" 

"Almost noon." Hyukjae replied, sitting on the couch next to Donghae’s legs. He put one hand on Donghae’s knee and rubbed up and down the calf. "How long have you been laying here?" 

"Not long." Donghae answered, yawning. "Maybe half an hour. He fell asleep pretty quickly." 

Hyukjae looked at his dozing son. "I can see that." He said. "God, Donghae, your hand is massive compared to his body." 

Donghae smiled a bit at that. "I noticed it earlier. Just makes me feel more protective of him." 

"Yeah, me too." Hyukjae smiled fondly down at Donghae. "But, love, you look exhausted. What time did you get up?" 

"I think it was around six thirty. Took the baby monitor and shut the alarm off so you could sleep." Donghae answered. "He's been pretty good. Hardly even thought about you."

Hyukjae snorted. "I doubt that. He's always got his Umma on his mind." 

"I do too, you know. Have his Umma on my mind." Donghae clarified, sitting up. He was careful not to jostle his baby. Hyukjae waited until he was upright before laying his head on Donghae’s shoulder. 

"You're sweet." Hyukjae murmured, dancing two fingers through a stray wisp of Baby Henry’s hair.

"Thank you for everything. I love you" Hyukjae blinked up at him, smiling sweetly. 

Donghae bent down so that their foreheads were pressed together. "You're going to be the death of me." He said quietly. "I love you so goddamned much."

"Likewise, Mr Lee." Hyukjae replied, tilting his head to the right so that their lips could meet. It was brief, and Donghae followed his lips for a few more kisses. "But, your son is demanding to be fed, and you need to sleep." 

"Which son?" Donghae asked, looking from Hyukjae’s belly to Baby Henry. 

"This one," Hyukjae stood and rubbed a few circles over his tummy. "So, give me that little bugger and go to sleep, please. I hate it when you drain yourself." 

Donghae stood and passed Baby Henry carefully. He was passed the stage where he was afraid that he was going to drop his baby, and now he thought they were professionals at it. It was like two football players passing the ball, because when he was curled up sleeping, Baby Henry did resemble a football. The cutest, tiniest, most precious football you've ever seen, too. 

"If you need anything," Donghae said, walking with Hyukjae to the hallway. "And I mean anything, you come and get me. That's not a suggestion, either. It's an order. I don't want you to overwork yourself." 

Hyukjae nodded and puckered his lips. Donghae leaned down and gave him a peck. "I promise I won't overwork myself. I'm just going to lay him down in his napper and have a sandwich or something. Do you want anything?" 

Donghae shook his head and headed for the stairs. "No thanks, love." 

"See you in a few hours!" Donghae called up after him. 

Donghae really did have the best family. Even though the majority of the times they'd spent together were horrible and almost ruined everything they had, their good moments, the admittedly few, outweighed the bad. There were the moments he looked back on when he wanted to bend Hyukjae over and spank him until his arse was black and blue. There were the moments he thought of when he was about to yell the house down around Hyukjae. But the one particular thing that helped him when he was laying in bed at night, with Hyukjae’s body using his as a pillow, thinking about packing a bag and leaving for a few days, was his son. All he had to do was gently extract his lover from his body, walk down the hallway, and stare into the crib of his sleeping infant. Sometimes, if he was lucky, Baby Henry would be awake, not crying, not fussing, just awake, and laying there, staring back up at him. 

He wouldn't trade any of it for the world, he thought as he collapsed into bed and made himself comfortable on Hyukjae’s side of the bed. And before he completely let the sleep take over, he thought that he couldn't wait to do it all again tomorrow.