lmaoooo this was originally a one shot, but I'm a er for domestic au so here we are. Yaaaayyyyy, yet another incomplete work for my repertoire (lmfao)

Hyunwoo heaves a long sigh as he slips out of his shoes, setting his satchel bag down next to the shoe rack for the time being. The familiar sound of his family’s laughter drifts through the still air, bringing a soft smile to his face. The mirthful, melodic echoes alone serve to ease his own burden immensely. He continues down the entry hall, pausing only long enough to peek into the living room to see his children and husband scattered around the room playing a game before going on to the kitchen.

He finds the plate Kihyun had made up for him easily, and he pops it into the microwave to return it to a decent temperature before digging in. He’s just sat down at the table when Kihyun steps into the room, a knowing smirk pulling at his lips.

“You made it home just in time to help tuck the boys in,” he tells him, leaning against the doorjamb. Hyunwoo looks up, his mouth already full. He gulps down what he has, and Kihyun chuckles softly as his husband stands immediately from the chair. He leans up on his tiptoes as Hyunwoo comes to his side, pressing a light kiss to the older man’s jaw. “Long day?” he asks, his tone low and sweet. Hyunwoo nods, leaning down to press his forehead against his husband’s. He draws strength from the shorter even from this simple touch, feeling rejuvenated just from their proximity.

Kihyun slips his hand into Hyunwoo’s, pulling away to give the man a gentle grin before leading him from the kitchen. The couple takes a detour on their way to the youngests’ room to poke their heads in on Hoseok, Minhyuk, and Hyungwon’s shared bedroom. Hyungwon seems to already be out cold, completely unbothered by the lively argument currently happening between his older brothers.

“He was totally flirting with me, hyung!” Minhyuk insists, pouting defiantly. “He’s cute, and I like him… Just because you’re gonna die a doesn’t mean I have to.”

“You will if I hear that kind of talk from you any more tonight, Minhyuk-ah,” Kihyun quips in warningly. The two boys turn in surprise at the sudden interjection. Minhyuk tries for a small, sheepish grin at realizing what conversation his parents have just walked in on.

“Sorry, Eomma,” he chuckles, scratching at the back of his head. “It’s just… Hoseok-hyung started talking about all that again, saying I got it all wrong, even though he’s the wrong one.” He adds the last bit as he shoots an accusatory glare at his older brother, who can only blubber and stammer nervously in response. Kihyun hums, clearly unconvinced. Hyunwoo shoots a confused, questioning look at his husband, but says nothing.

“Go on to bed,” he finally says, stepping closer to kiss each of the boy’s foreheads. Hoseok beams up at him purely, snuggling down deep into the covers. Minhyuk flops down atop the sheets, giggling still as his eyes shine. “Goodnight, Wonnie,” Kihyun mutters, barely audible as he kisses Hyungwon’s hair last. His tone is a bit pointed, as if in on some sort of secret no one else knows, and their son remains suspiciously motionless.

“Goodnight, Appa,” Minhyuk chirps from his bed, hugging his pillow close. Hyunwoo hums in response, giving his boys the widest smile he can manage despite his own exhaustion. The two men then leave the room, closing the door behind them. Minhyuk sighs loudly as he turns on his left side, facing Hyungwon’s bed. “You just gonna lay there and sulk all night?” he asks, his tone devoid of any sympathy.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Hyungwon replies immediately, keeping his back to his brothers. Hoseok leans up on his shoulder to see through the dark over Minhyuk to the youngest in the room, frowning.

“I don’t th-thee why you’re the one thulking,” he says in dismay. He focuses hard on the following words, making sure to not let his own lisp slip again. “You’re not the insulted here, Wonnie. You talked back to Appa this morning, so you need to apologize. He didn’t deserve to be—”

“He didn’t even bother asking Minhyuk-ah about what you two were talking about,” Hyungwon interrupts, his voice hard. “He didn’t ask us about our days… As soon as he got home, he just went to the kitchen to eat. Face it, hyung… He doesn’t care about us.”

Minhyuk sits up, his brow creasing in defiant rage as he looks to Hoseok for backup.

“He didn’t ask because Eomma’s just gonna explain it to him later, anyway,” Minhyuk begins to explain, earning a light, sadistic chuckle from his younger brother. “That’s how it’s always been. Appa’s always relied on Eomma for that kind of thing. And he’s tired whenever he gets home, so of course he’d go to the kitchen for dinner.”

“Whatever you say, hyung,” Hyungwon mumbles, his tone a bit too sarcastic for either of his brothers’ likings. The two exchange a worried glance, not exactly liking what the boy is saying as they know it’s anything but the truth…

“Appa~!” Changkyun calls from his crib as Kihyun and Hyunwoo enter the two infants’ room, the pure cry bringing an easy smile to Hyunwoo’s face. He strides quickly into the room, reaching down to pick up both of the toddlers and kiss their cheeks. They squeal at the affection, squirming as they cling to his neck.

“Alright, alright,” Kihyun chuckles, moving in to intercede. “Stop riling them up, yaja. They need to get to sleep. They’ve had a very long day today.” Hyunwoo hums, glancing at the boys promptingly.

“We went shopping with Eomma!” Jooheon eagerly explains. “And then we went to the park, and then we got ice cream, and then we even went to see a movie!! It was so much fun~! We even got to go with Eomma to pick up Ttoki-hyung, Moongie-hyung, and Wonnie-hyung~!” Hyunwoo chuckles warmly as the boy goes on and on, just content to hold his sons close.

As he watches his precious honeybee speak, he can’t help but remember each of his other sons at this age. The memories warm him to his very core, and he finds himself holding onto the boys a bit tighter.

“That sounds like fun, Heonney,” he finally comments as Jooheon finishes, the boy’s chubby cheeks slightly flushed from all the talking he’d just done. Jooheon nods, assuring his father that it most definitely was.

“You should come with us next time, Appa!” Changkyun interjects, giggling. “We should all go to the park next time!”

“Maybe on a weekend,” Kihyun interrupts, gently reaching towards Changkyun and pulling him from Hyunwoo’s arm. “But, for now, it’s time to go to bed.” He leans close to Jooheon, kissing the boy’s cheek noisily before kissing Changkyun in a similar fashion and setting him back down. Hyunwoo mirrors his actions, telling his youngest sons goodnight before following Kihyun out of the room.

“I’m going to bed, aga,” Kihyun sighs as he closes the door behind them, kissing Hyunwoo’s cheek. As he pulls away, the bags under his eyes seem to have multiplied by ten, and he seems to have immediately shouldered the weight of the whole world. “Finish dinner and come join me, okay?” Hyunwoo nods, stepping close to press a sweet kiss against Kihyun’s lips before shuffling off on socked-feet to the kitchen.

Hyunwoo eats quickly and then sets the plate in the sink, barely able to muster up the energy to make his way to the bedroom he shares with his love. Today had been long and rough, and at some points had seemed like it would never even end. He’d had to work on about five different dance routines for a completely different concept each time. It’d been incredibly draining, especially when the idols he’d been assigned had seemed entirely unable to grasp even the simplest of steps.

As he passes by the older boys’ room, he can’t help but think of how Hyungwon had spoken to him earlier that day. The frustration and anger in his son’s tone… it was enough to break his heart. Of course, he could understand where the boy was coming from, as he really hadn’t been around all that much due to work, but that didn’t make it hurt any less…

He steps quietly into his bedroom and changes quickly into his sleep-clothes before slipping into bed beside Kihyun. The younger man seems to have been waiting for him, as he immediately slides over and commandeers Hyunwoo’s chest for use as a pillow. Hyunwoo runs his fingers through the man’s hair, noting how full it still feels despite the fact they very much aren’t in their twenties anymore.

“What was Minhyukkie talking about before?” Hyunwoo asks softly, careful to keep his voice low so as to keep from shattering the pleasant atmosphere that’s surrounded them. Kihyun hums lightly, tightening his own hold around Hyunwoo’s waist.

“There was a new boy at school today,” Kihyun explains. “A transfer student, apparently. Minhyuk-ah thinks the boy flirted with him when he asked where some classroom was, and Hoseokkie just thinks he’s reading too much into it.”

Hyunwoo hums at the explanation, staring up at the ceiling through the shadows of the room.

“… Is Wonnie still angry with me?” Hyunwoo asks, somewhat hesitant as he’s fairly sure he knows the answer. Kihyun doesn’t respond, but his silence just affirms the older’s suspicions. He sighs defeatedly, wiping at his face with his free hand. Kihyun pulls away, pursing his lips at the older man through the dark.

“Maybe if you spent some time with him Saturday,” he suggests, “he’d realize he’s wrong. You know, help him out with choreography like you offered, or something.”

“I don’t know if he’d want my help right now.”

“Don’t offer it, just give it.”

Hyunwoo barks out a low laugh at this, the bluntness of the younger’s words. He can almost hear Kihyun’s genuine smile at the sound, and he can’t help but sit up just enough to kiss Kihyun’s forehead.

“What would I do without you, Kihyunnie?”

“Starve to death,” Kihyun quips easily, chuckling at his own joke. Hyunwoo hums as if that’s the only thing that’d be amiss in his life without his precious Kihyun by his side, even though they both know there’d be so much more missing.