Sunggyu practically skipped as he walked down the halls of the company building. He offered smiles and nods at those who passed him, making some of them wonder what put their boss in such a good mood. Behind him, his secretary, Sunwoo, faithfully followed in his footsteps, reciting his schedule for the rest of the week.

But, the COO was in too much of a good mood to let the eventual string of responsibilities deter him. About an hour before, a major shareholder canceled a meeting because his wife went into labor for their third child. So, that left Sunggyu’s entire afternoon free. Which meant that he could pick up his husband from work, pick up their son from school, and spend the day together.

Life was busy as always for the COO and his chef husband was likewise just as occupied, now that he had fully accepted his college friend’s business proposal of putting up a café. It felt like they had hardly seen each other, much less spoke in the last two months or so.

When he arrived at his office, Sunggyu wasted no time in calling Woohyun’s work to relay the good news.

It took a few rings and another minute or so of waiting for the hostess to get the chef.

“Sunggyu?”

“Yeobo,” he greeted with a smile, even though Woohyun couldn’t see. “You’re off in an hour right?”

“Yes, I was about to call you, actually. I’m meeting Kibum after work to discuss some plans so I need you to pick up Myungsoo from school. Is that okay?”

Immediately, Sunggyu’s mood dampened and his smile fell from his lips. He had really been hoping to spend time with Woohyun that day because the rest of his week was packed.

“Can you two re-schedule?” he managed to ask, gently. “My last meeting was canceled today and I was really hoping we could all go out as a family together.”

“Oh… Yeobo, I’m so sorry. But, Kibum is heading back to Daegu tomorrow and won’t be back ‘til Monday. We really just want to get this out of the way. But, this weekend, I’m free. We can do something then.”

Woohyun must have forgotten that Sunggyu was supposed to take Eunseo and Donghyun to Dongwoo for the baby’s check-up.

Instead, he simply said, “Alright. We’ll talk about it tonight, okay? I really miss you.”

“I miss you too. I’ll see you tonight, okay?”

“Okay. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Sunggyu hung up, his entire body feeling weak all of a sudden. It was like he lost all the energy he had earlier, just by those few sentences from his husband. But, he had promised his full support for Woohyun’s new dream. So, he had to it up.

“Knock, knock.”

He looked up to see Howon entering and closing the door behind him.

“You looked like you were in a good mood earlier,” he stated before tilting his head to the side. “Though, it looks like it was too good to last. You okay?”

Sunggyu sighed as he massaged his forehead with a thumb and forefinger. He had a sudden migraine.

“I thought I could spend time with Woohyun today. But, he’s meeting Kibum again.”

“Oh, yikes. Those two have been meeting a lot.” Howon settled on one of the chairs in front of the desk. “When was the last time you two even went on a date? Just the two of you?”

“I… honestly, can’t remember.”

Howon tsk-ed, flashing him a look of sympathy.

“But, it’s fine,” Sunggyu continued. “Really. He’s really excited about this café. And I’ve never seen him this happy in so long since… you know…” He cleared his throat. “Anyway, I promised him that I’d support him and if that means spending less time with him so he can focus, then it’s fine.”

Howon raised an eyebrow. “Is it really?”

“Yes,” Sunggyu hissed through his teeth.

“You sure?”

Sunggyu sighed again. “Yes, I’m a little jealous, okay? I miss Woohyun, but I just want him to be happy again,” he stated in a dejected tone. “I’ve done too much to hurt him. So if I can see the smile back on his face while he and Kibum are working on this business, I’ll it up because that’s what he had been doing for me in the past year. I just… want to see my Woohyun happy again.”

The good friend that he was, Howon didn’t say another word. He simply patted him on the shoulder in understanding before leaving the office to do his own work. He was a man of few words, but Sunggyu knew what he wanted to say through those small gestures.

Nonetheless, he went back to his work, diligently. And when the time came, he bid his secretary and subordinates goodbye before heading out to pick up Myungsoo.

He arrived just before the students were let out and he scanned the heads of each child before his gaze rested on his son’s familiar curls. He waved him over.

“Appa!”

“Hi, baby! How was school?” He took the little boys’ backpack from him before taking his hand and leading him back to the car.

“It was fun! I got a perfect score on my science homework!”

“Waaah! Really? My son is so smart!”

Myungsoo beamed before looking at the car, scrunching his eyebrows. “Where’s Papa?”

Sunggyu opened the door, placing his son’s things in. “He’s meeting with your Uncle Kibum today. They’re talking about work.”

“Oh.” Myungsoo seemed to deflate a little.

He was used to Woohyun coming to pick him up, so this probably felt a little different to him. Not to mention, he and Woohyun had been so busy that they rarely got to spend time with him. The little boy must be feeling neglected. Sunggyu needed to cheer him up.

He gently nudged the 7-year-old on the shoulder. “Wanna go see your brother?” he asked with a grin.

The sparkle in his son’s eyes and the cheer that left his lips let him know that he chose the right thing.

The coffee shop they were meeting at was small yet comfortable. There were only five tables since it wasn’t meant to be a sit-down place, but they managed to snag an empty one in the furthest corner and settled in with cups of coffee and a cupcake each. No one could bother them there.

They exchanged folders, Woohyun’s filled with ideas and suggestions for the menu along with the recipes and Kibum’s with sketches of the café and some notes.

Woohyun raised an eyebrow at the name, printed in bold black English letters. “Key To Your Heart Cafe?” he stated. “That sounds really cheesy. And long.”

Kibum’s hand flew to his chest, his mouth open in offense. “I’ll have you know that I thought about the most perfect suitable name for weeks!” He cleared his throat. “My aim for this café is to have its food and atmosphere open the heart of every customer to good food and the comfort of home. So, yes, Key To Your Heart.”

Shaking his head in amusement, Woohyun continued to look over the plans as Kibum went through his. Aside from making a comment or asking a question, the two stayed quiet for the most part.

About ten minutes in, Woohyun’s phone rang. He paused from his reading and picked it up, seeing that it was Sunggyu.

“Hello? Yeobo,” he greeted.

“Yeobo. Are you doing okay?”

Woohyun chuckled. “I’m fine. What is it?”

“I’m just letting you know that Myungsoo and I are heading to Eunseo’s to see Donghyun. We’ll be home by dinner.”

He felt a twitch in his chest and he absentmindedly scratched at it. “Oh, alright. Take care and have fun.”

“See you tonight. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

They hung up. Woohyun sighed as he put his phone away and went back to reading Kibum’s notes. They were silent again.

“Hey, Hyun?”

The chef didn’t look away from the notes, but answered, “Hmmm?”

“Are things between you and Sunggyu-hyung okay?”

At this, Woohyun finally looked up, his brows scrunched. “What do you mean?”

The blonde flashed him a look of concern. “It’s just that… things seem tense between the two of you sometimes. I mean, you’re still as lovey-dovey as before but now there’s a weird… thing.”

Woohyun never really noticed and said exactly that, hoping his friend would just drop the issue.

But, Kibum was relentless. “There’s something else,” he said. “One time, when you left me alone with Myungsoo, he told me something. He said it was a secret, but he wanted to tell me because he was really excited about it.”

All of a sudden, Woohyun’s throat was dry and his heartbeat picked up pace, but not in a good way.

Kibum seemed to hesitate before finally blurting it out. “He said his brother can finally talk and call him ‘hyung’,” he said, slowly. “And as far as I know… you and Sunggyu-hyung don’t have another child. Unless… you two adopted and didn’t tell me?”

A sudden lump was forming in his throat and Woohyun swallowed hard. “How… how much did he tell you?”

“Just that, really. But, Hyun.” Kibum reached out to hold one of his hands. “You know I’d never judge you, and I was just waiting for you to say something.”

Woohyun just felt his entire body go cold. He had no idea what he was supposed to say. And it wasn’t Kibum’s business.

But, his poor innocent child who only wanted to brag about his baby brother had spilled the beans. What could Woohyun do in this situation? He could deny it, but that would be denying Donghyun’s existence. He was ashamed of his husband’s decision but he could never be ashamed of little Donghyun who was growing so well and brought both Sunggyu and Myungsoo happiness.

“Woohyunnie? You okay?” Kibum looked concerned as he looked him over. “Hey, it’s okay. You don’t have to tell me. Okay? Just know that I’m here for you, if you need to talk. I won’t judge.”

And Woohyun knew his friend wouldn’t. He trusted Kibum. Heck, the guy was the first of his friends who knew about Sangmi’s pregnancy and had supported Woohyun’s decision all the way through.

Kibum may come off as snobby and diva-ish, but Woohyun knew him well. He was kind and took all of his friendships and relationships seriously.

“I-It’s… not a happy story,” he managed, his hand squeezing Kibum’s. “But, I’ll tell you because I trust you. But… you can’t tell anyone else.”

The blonde nodded, encouragingly.

Taking a deep breath, Woohyun told him everything. Told him about Sunggyu’s betrayal. About Eunseo. About his and Sunggyu’s decision to support her throughout her pregnancy. About Donghyun and how loved he was by Myungsoo. He talked about how he felt at the time. All of his frustrations. All of his worries. Even his worries now.

Kibum listened without interruption, nodding and shaking his head at various parts. He allowed Woohyun to just talk and talk.

Strangely and to his relief, Woohyun shed no tears as he told his story. He even managed to calm down, taking deep breaths at various intervals until his heart had slowed to a normal pace.

By the time he was done, Kibum’s eyes were wide as he looked scandalized. Woohyun could only laugh at his face. It was rare to see the other man look less composed as he normally was.

“Wow… Hyun… How do you do it?” He sounded rather impressed. “I mean, if that was me and my partner cheated on me, I’d kick him to the curb. I’m too good for that! And a child?!”

Again, Woohyun chuckled. It did sound quite out there coming from someone else who was just learning about it. If Woohyun was hearing this same thing from a stranger, he’d be impressed too.

“A mistake as huge as that… you’re a ing saint!” Kibum continued.

Woohyun shrugged as he took a sip of his now lukewarm coffee. “It’s not like I can do anything about it now. What’s happened has happened.”

Kibum tilted his head to the side in curiosity. “And Myungsoo is okay with this? I mean, how is he going to feel when he finds out the truth about his brother when he’s older?”

“Well… I guess we’ll figure it out when we get to that point. Right now, Myungsoo knows Donghyun as his brother and that’s it. And if he does ask later, well, we’ll tell him the truth. Just like how I’ll tell him the truth about Sangmi if he decides that he wants to know.”

“This is rather a bit more extreme than Sangmi, don’t you think?”

Woohyun shrugged again before smiling. “Do you want to see a picture?”

Before Kibum could answer, he was already whipping his phone out again and scrolling through the photos. He stopped at the one he had taken during Donghyun’s 100^th day of Myungsoo holding the younger boy in his arms, a huge smile on his face as the baby laughed at the camera. They were wearing their matching outfits. It was his favorite photo of the two boys. He showed it to Kibum.

The other’s eyebrows rose high and well into his hairline as he stared at the photo. “Wow… he looks like Sunggyu-hyung.”

“He does, doesn’t he?” Woohyun cooed. “Same eyes and nose and everything. He just learned to talk, like Myungsoo told you. Not too many words, just the basic “mama”, “papa”, and “hung”, as he calls Myungie. He can’t pronounce “y’s” or “r’s” yet, but he’s progressing really well. He’s very smart. Myungsoo is trying to teach him how to read. And-.” He paused, catching Kibum’s look. “What?”

The other tilted his head to the side. “It’s just… well… you sound like he’s your son rather than your husband’s mistake.”

At that word, “mistake”, Woohyun frowned. “He’s not a mistake, Kibum. He’s just a child, he didn’t ask to be born under those circumstances.”

Kibum raised an eyebrow. “So you’re fine with that woman and her kid hanging around your husband?”

Woohyun shuffled uncomfortably as he took his phone back, turning it off, the image of the two children disappearing and replaced with a black screen. 

“I can’t stop Sunggyu from spending time with his son,” he said, slowly. “And I want to just… move on from that mistake, Kibum. I’ve forgiven Gyu. I’ve accepted Donghyun. And if I…” He swallowed. “If I constantly think of Donghyun as a mistake, then Sunggyu will always see him as a mistake. Donghyun will feel that when he’s growing up… that he’s a mistake. And that’s the worst feeling in the world. That’s how I felt when Appa left us. And I don't want a child to ever feel that in their life. Not Myungsoo and not Donghyun.”

There were a few moments of silence, as Woohyun’s mood turned even more somber. He wished people would just stop asking him how he felt about the situation but what else could he say? That he was bitter? That he hated every minute of it? What would that do?

He was trying to move on yet it seemed that people were more determined to make him feel like he should still be angry.

He felt a hand on top of his and he looked up to see Kibum looking apologetic.

“I’m sorry,” the blonde said. “You’re a good man, Nam Woohyun. A truly good man. And your husband is lucky to have you.” He squeezed his hand. “Now, shall we go back to the plans?”

At that, Woohyun smiled and nodded. Trust Kibum to know when he needed to a subject dropped. He was a little pissed at him but the other always knew how to butter him up.

Their partnership will go well.

Familiar hands ran through the strands of his hair, caressing and soothingly. He knew the feel of those hands anywhere and they were enough to rouse him out of slumber.

Slowly, Sunggyu opened his eyes to see his favorite pair of brown eyes looking down in affection to him.

“Hey,” Woohyun whispered, softly.

“Hey,” Sunggyu replied, carefully sitting up as to not wake up the sleeping Myungsoo on his chest.

He and Myungsoo had come home hours ago and had dinner together. Woohyun was unable to join them as his meeting with Kibum had gone longer than he expected. Father and son had fallen asleep on the living room couch, waiting for him.

“I’m sorry,” Woohyun said in a low voice. “We lost track of time.”

“It’s okay.” Sunggyu shifted Myungsoo in his hold so he could carry him to his bedroom. “Go on ahead and freshen up and go to bed. You had a long day.”

Woohyun pecked him on the lips in gratitude and kissed Myungsoo’s forehead before shuffling off to their bedroom.

Sunggyu followed behind with the 7-year-old in his arms. He quickly put him to bed, tucking him under the covers and kissing his hair good night.

When he returned to his and Woohyun’s bedroom, his husband was just coming out of a quick shower. Weary and feeling a little upset at him, Sunggyu quietly got into bed, lying down and closed his eyes but not falling asleep as he waited for Woohyun to finish.

The younger finished his nightly routine, turned the lights out, and crawled under the covers. He snuggled up to Sunggyu and placed a kiss on his shoulder.

“I’m sorry, yeobo,” he whispered.

Sunggyu could feel himself giving in, but he was really hurt. Woohyun had promised to be home for dinner with him and Myungsoo. Lately, he felt like he was becoming second priority in Woohyun’s life. But, the sad thing was, he felt bad telling him about his feelings. So, instead, he just sulked.

Woohyun continued peppering kisses on his arm until the younger finally fell asleep, lips still attached to Sunggyu’s skin.

The older waiting a minute or two before pulling the younger’s unconscious form towards him.

Who was he kidding? He could never stay upset at Woohyun for too long.

He kissed his forehead, lovingly, before closing his eyes, finally allowing the weariness of the day to consume him as he fell into slumber.

Looking back now, Woohyun should have noticed that something was wrong that morning. It was one of those times when he couldn’t help but call himself a bad father.

At breakfast that morning, Myungsoo was quieter than normal when he was usually very chatty. He picked at his breakfast rather than inhaling it with enjoyment. And he also looked paler than normal.

But, they were all running late that morning. Sunggyu had gotten up early and had to get to the office early. So, Woohyun had to bring their son to school and rush to work before the restaurant opened for the day. He had to start his shift earlier because he was leaving early in the afternoon to look at café locations with Kibum.

So, all other thoughts escaped the chef as he went about his orders, keeping his eye on the clock.

At exactly 3:00, Kibum arrived to pick him up. Woohyun was finishing up a rather large order for a party of ten so he was a little delayed. Now, though, he couldn’t help but thank that party of ten for holding him up because just as he was about to head out the door, one of the hostesses rushed up to him, telling him that his son’s school had called.

He was then caught off-guard at the secretary’s frantic voice on the other line, telling him that he had to rush to the school because Myungsoo was vomiting. They had taken him to the school nurse who had examined him, hoping to give him something for a possible stomach pain. But, it turned out to be so much more than a simple stomachache. The nurse came to a horrifying conclusion: appendicitis.

Woohyun felt like his world was crashing down as he heard the woman’s voice urging him to come and take his son and bring him to the hospital.

He didn’t know how but somehow, Kibum had managed to pry his car keys from his hand and drove to the school himself.

Woohyun knew nothing aside from flying out of the car, rushing to the nurse’s office, and seeing his poor son crying as he laid on a cot, clutching his side. His heart almost stopped at the sight. Without another word, he swooped in, taking the boy in his arms, and rushing out of the school.

He held his son in his arms in the backseat as Kibum drove to the hospital. He could vaguely recall himself calling Dongwoo, letting him know of his son’s state and the older man assuring him that he would be ready to examine him when they arrived.

And, now, here he was, pacing the halls outside an operating room, phone to his ear as he desperately tried to call his husband. He had already called his secretary but it turns out that in the time between Woohyun getting the call at work and Dongwoo confirming the school nurse’s conclusion and sending the boy into surgery, the COO had finished all his work for the day and already left.

But, Sunggyu wasn’t answering his phone. This was the fourth voicemail he left on the other’s phone.

“Kim Sunggyu, Myungsoo has been in surgery for an hour now. Where are you?!”

He hung up and ran a frustrated hand through his already disheveled hair.

Meanwhile, Kibum was sitting on one of the plastic chairs, biting his lip as he watched Woohyun continue to pace up and down the hall.

“Hyun, sit down, you’re just aggravating yourself more,” the blonde tried to soothe him.

“My son is having surgery, Kibum! My little boy!” At long last, tears finally fell from his eyes, the fear for his most precious treasure mixed with frustration at his husband for not answering his damn phone finally taking a toll. “The nurse said that Myungsoo told her that he wasn't feeling good all morning and I didn’t even notice! How could I not see that my own son was in pain?!”

Without another word, Kibum stood up and took him in his arms. Woohyun buried his face on his chest, the tears soaking the blonde’s designer shirt. Hands rubbed his back, soothingly as Kibum whispered words of comfort.

“He’ll be okay, he’s a strong boy, just like you. Okay, Hyun? He’ll be okay.”

Woohyun sniffled. “Where the is Sunggyu?!” he screeched before breaking away from Kibum’s hold and taking his phone out again, dialing in frustration.

The phone rang. And rang. And rang. Then, voicemail.

“Kim Sunggyu! Where the are you?! Your son is in surgery! Did I not mention that in the last million messages I left you?! Do you just not care anymore, huh?!”

He hung up before he could say any more things that he would later regret. Instead, he fell into Kibum’s arms again, and the blonde allowed him to cry.

After a good three hours of playing, Donghyun was all conked out in his crib. Sunggyu watched him, happily, his heart so full and warm from the time spent with his baby.

He had an early start that morning and had been exhausted from all the meetings and paperwork. He even skipped lunch. So, to his surprise, he managed to finish everything early and figured that since Woohyun was meeting with Kibum for the day and said that he would pick up Myungsoo from school, he had the afternoon free. So, he went to visit his other son.

The now 8-month-old Donghyun was already learning how to walk, though he was still stumbling around. He could recognize him as his “Papa” and Myungsoo his “hung” (they could work on pronunciation later). They had played many rounds of “Where’s Papa?” (when Sunggyu would cover his face with his hands and open them) and their version of hide and seek (Donghyun would crawl around, hiding in random places and Sunggyu would go find him).

Gently, he reached into the crib to pull the baby blue blanket further up the baby’s chin before kissing his forehead. This was always the part of the day he hated the most – parting him from his son.

“Sunggyu-shii? Here’s your phone,” Mrs. Wang walked up to him with his now-charged cell phone in her hands.

He thanked her and took the phone back. He had used it so much during the day and neglected to bring his charger to work that it died before he even left the office. But, Eunseo had the same phone so he was able to borrow it for the afternoon.

Speaking of Eunseo, she was currently in her bedroom, finishing up some work. He asked Mrs. Wang to let her know that it was time for him to leave.

As he waited, he turned the phone on, wondering if he had any messages. It took less than a minute for his notifications to blow up. His eyes widened as text message after text message popped up. There also were several missed calls and voicemails from Sunwoo, Howon, and Woohyun.

A lump suddenly in his throat, he opened a voicemail from Sunwoo first.

“Mr. Kim, your husband called. It’s an emergency with your son. Please call him.”

An emergency with Myungsoo? He quickly opened up one from Howon.

“Sunggyu, call Woohyun. Myungsoo is in the hospital.”

This time, he almost dropped his phone. His son was in the hospital! With shaking hands, he grabbed his jacket and opened up Woohyun’s voicemails, one after the other.

“G-Gyu, the school called. Myungsoo was throwing up. Kibum and I are on our way to there now. Call me as soon as you get this.”

“G-Gyu, we’re on our way to the hospital now. I just called Dongwoo. Where are you? Call me back.”

“Gyu, what the hell?! Where are you?! We’re at the hospital. It’s appendicitis. Myungsoo is going in for surgery. Call me!”

“Kim Sunggyu, Myungsoo has been in surgery for an hour now. Where are you?! Call me back!”

And then the last voicemail.

“Kim Sunggyu! Where the are you?! Your son is in surgery! Did I not mention that in the last million messages I left you?! Do you just not care anymore, huh?!”

That one came just a half hour ago.

“Sunggyu-shii.”

He turned around to see Eunseo approaching him, presumably to say good-bye.

“I have to go,” he said, quickly donning his jacket and stuffing his phone into his pocket. “Myungsoo is in the hospital.”

Eunseo’s eyes widened. “What?! Why?!”

“Appendicitis. I’m sorry, I might not be able to visit this weekend at all.”

Sunggyu quickly put on his shoes before offering her a quick bow and rushing out of the apartment.

He drove to the hospital like a mad man; he probably didn’t even stop at some red lights and it was a miracle that he didn’t cause any accidents. Arriving, he quickly found a parking spot and rushed right in, calling Woohyun in the process.

His husband picked up, immediately. “WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!”

He winced at the other’s tone but he couldn’t blame him. “I’m at the hospital now, where are you?”

A relieved sigh. “The surgery ended half an hour ago. They transferred him to a private room on the tenth floor. Room 10G.”

Without another word, Woohyun hung up on him. He was definitely pissed but Sunggyu understood. He couldn’t help but inwardly punch himself for not being there for his son when he needed him the most. What kind of a father was he?!

Not wasting any more time, Sunggyu headed for the elevators. He arrived on the floor, his eyes frantically searching each room’s number. When he found it, he opened the door without knocking.

The first thing he saw was his husband’s back, hunched over the bed as a taller, slimmer figure rubbed his back, soothingly. Sunggyu’s eyes narrowed even more before they fell on the pale figure of his son on the bed.

At the sound of him entering, Woohyun turned around. His face was streaked with tears but as soon as he caught sight of Sunggyu, they stopped. Looking furious, he stalked over to where Sunggyu still stood with the doorknob clutched in his fists.

“Where the hell were you?” the younger hissed in a whisper.

Sunggyu swallowed. “I-I’m sorry… I was at Eunseo’s-.”

“Eunseo’s?” Woohyun spat. “And you couldn’t be bothered to turn your phone on?!”

“My battery died,” he replied, lamely. Even that excuse sounded stupid in his ears.

“You still couldn’t have called me?! She has a phone too, doesn't she?! I had no idea where the hell you were, Kim Sunggyu! Did you forget you had another son?!”

Those words felt like a punch in the face. “Woohyun! That’s not it!” He moved forward to grasp the younger’s arms. “Look, I’m sorry, okay? It was an accident-.”

“Accident? Accident? Is everything an accident with you?!”

“Woohyun,” Sunggyu said now with a warning tone as he felt his own anger rising.

“Eunseo was an accident and now forgetting your son is an accident?!”

“I didn’t forget Myungsoo! What are you talking about?! Don’t make this about Eunseo.”

“Everything is about Eunseo! If you never let that woman get her clutches on you in the first place, we wouldn’t be like this!”

“Is that what this is about? You think I’m having some kind of affair with her behind your back?!”

“Am I wrong?!”

Sunggyu’s hold on Woohyun’s arm loosened as he felt his heart drop to his stomach. Woohyun was accusing him of having an affair. Maybe it was the younger’s anger and worry talking, yet Sunggyu couldn’t help but feel resentment taking over because his husband didn’t trust him.

 “P-Papa? A-Appa?”

They both turned their attention to the bed where Myungsoo was lying. The 7-year-old’s eyes were slightly open, staring in their direction. Kibum was standing by the bed, looking at them with an unreadable expression.

Immediately, Woohyun rushed over to their little boy, Sunggyu right behind him.

“Baby, how are you feeling?” Woohyun asked, his hand on the little boy’s hair.

“Tummy hurts,” Myungsoo replied, making a face.

“That’s because they had to take something out of your stomach,” Woohyun explained. “You were so brave. I’m so sorry.”

“Why, Papa?”

“Because I didn’t notice you were in pain. Why didn’t you say anything?”

Myungsoo pouted. “You and Appa looked busy. I didn’t want to bother you.”

“Myungsoo,” Sunggyu spoke up this time, taking his son’s hand. “You’re not a bother to us. Okay? So the next time you’re not feeling good, you have to tell us.”

The little boy nodded. “Okay.”

Woohyun pressed a kiss to his forehead before pulling up the covers up to the little boy’s chin. “Get some rest, okay?” He turned to Sunggyu. “You, we haven’t finished our conversation.” He turned to Kibum. “Do you mind watching him for us?”

Kibum, who had been standing in the side the entire time, nodded.

After planting a kiss on Myungsoo’s forehead too, Sunggyu followed Woohyun out of the room and down the hall where he could see a lounge-type area. It was empty for the time being.

As soon as they reached it, Woohyun turned around, his face still set in a glare.

“What were you doing at Eunseo’s?” he asked without hesitation.

Sunggyu sighed. “Are we on this again?”

“Just answer the damn question, Kim Sunggyu.”

“I was visiting Donghyun, what else do I normally do when I’m there?”

“And you couldn’t have told me?”

“It was a last minute decision. I finished my work early and I knew you were busy with Kibum today so I figured I wouldn’t bother you.”

Woohyun’s brow furrowed even more. “You always used to tell me when you were going over to her place.”

“Do I have to tell you every minute and every second of the things I do?!” That came out before Sunggyu could stop himself but it was too late.

Woohyun was practically red with anger. “When it comes to Eunseo, yes! I’m your husband, Sunggyu! When you’re going over to visit your son from another woman, then you need to tell me! Not leaving me to wonder if you cared enough to answer a damn phone call!”

“I’m sorry, okay?! I’m sorry!”

Sunggyu felt helpless. He wanted Woohyun to understand that it wasn’t his intention to miss his calls. It wasn’t his intention to not be there with him during their son’s surgery. And it definitely was not his intention to make Woohyun feel like he didn’t care about them because God knows how important they were to him.

But, how could he make his now crying his husband understand that?

Before he could say another word, he could hear footsteps approaching them. He turned to see Kibum heading for them.

The blonde looked hesitant approaching them in the midst of a heated argument but eventually, he did.

“Um… Dr. Jang is in the room with Myungsoo,” he explained. “He has a couple of things to go over with you, guys, so you might wanna head back.”

Woohyun wiped the tears from his face and nodded. “Thanks, Kibum.”

Without waiting for Sunggyu, he walked back down the hallway to their son’s room.

Before Kibum could follow him, Sunggyu called out to him. The blonde turned around with an inquiring look.

“Can I ask you a question?” Sunggyu asked.

Kibum looked surprised but nodded. “Sure, hyung. What is it?”

Sunggyu couldn’t help but narrow his eyes at him. “Why are you really back in Seoul? Is it for business… or Woohyun?”

The blonde’s eyes widened before he chuckled. “Hyung, what are you talking about? Of course, I’m here for business... and Woohyun.”

Sunggyu’s brows furrowed.

Kibum continued, “Woohyun is my friend and the best person who can run this business with me.”

“You know what I mean!”

It was Kibum’s turn to frown. “No, I don’t know what you mean. Care to enlighten me?”

“You like Woohyun. And I’m talking about as more than a friend. Even back when we were only dating, you liked him, didn’t you?”

Kibum’s expression was unreadable. “And what does that have to do with our business venture? I picked Woohyun because he has the talent and the skills. And, like I already mentioned, he’s my friend and I’d prefer to work with a friend whom I already know very well.”

Sunggyu huffed. “You may have pretended to like me back then because of Woohyun, but I knew, Kibum. You weren’t happy that I was with him.”

This time, Kibum was the one who glared. “You really want to know? Fine, I’ll tell you.” He narrowed his eyes at Sunggyu. “Yes, I liked Woohyun. More than a friend. Loved him, in fact. I still do. How can I not? He's a great guy. And you know what? I’ll always regret not telling him that fact because if I had known you were just going to hurt him by sleeping with some woman, I would have gladly taken him away from you.”

Sunggyu could not help the fury that exploded from his chest. “How did you-.”

“Woohyun told me. And before you say anything, he has every right to tell me. And don’t worry, I didn’t go around gossiping and telling every soul. I love Woohyun too much to do that to him.”

It was taking everything in Sunggyu not to march over to the blonde and punch him. Instead, he clutched is fists to his side, as he shook in anger.

“So, it’s true,” he stated, keeping his expression as impassive as he could.

Kibum nodded. “I was too young and stupid to realize that he was the one I wanted. He had a crush on me, you know. And I knew about it; I thought it was cute. But, I was always looking somewhere else, always with someone else. Then you came along and suddenly, his attention was on you… and I realized what an idiot I was for not seeing him. I kept hoping that you two would break up so I could make my move, but instead, you asked him to marry you.” The blonde sighed, deeply. “I left Seoul and went back to Daegu so I could forget him.” Then, he shot Sunggyu a determined look. “But, just so you know, Sunggyu-shii, I’m not here to steal Woohyun from you. I’m really here simply for business. But, if you continue to hurt him like this, you’ll be tempting me to try.”

And just like that, Kibum confidently his heels and left.

Sunggyu stayed in that lounge room, seething as he tried to calm his racing his heart. Everything that the blonde told him echoed in his ears and his protective instincts towards his husband and son flared. He had already messed up once, no way was he going to mess up again when he didn’t even do anything in the first place!

Once he had calmed down, the COO squared his shoulders and marched back to his son’s room, determined to talk to Woohyun once more.

Dongwoo was coming out of the room as he approached and the doctor waved, enthusiastically at him.

“Hey, Sunggyu!” he greeted.

“Hey, thanks again for looking after Myungsoo.”

Dongwoo shrugged. “It’s my job. And you know I love the little tyke. Good thing Woohyun and Kibum got him here before the appendix fully ruptured.”

Sunggyu’s breath hitched.

“But, he’s okay now!” Dongwoo added, quickly. “I gave Woohyun a list of foods he can eat for the next few days; he’ll probably have a little stomachache and some nausea. I’m having him stay overnight and he can go home tomorrow morning, but I recommend he stay out of school for at least the rest of the week while he recovers. He can go back on Monday.”

As Dongwoo spoke, Sunggyu nodded as the information sunk in. His son may not have been in true danger, but what if Woohyun hadn’t gotten him to the hospital on time? Sunggyu had ruptured his own appendix back in high school and the whole thing had been terrifying and painful to him, even as a teen. How much more for his little 7-year-old? How scared his husband must have been… and Sunggyu wasn’t there to comfort him.

He suddenly felt a wave of guilt for being angry at Woohyun and his accusations.

“He’s under a lot of stress,” Dongwoo’s low voice interrupted his thoughts. “You know how Woohyun is. He worries and his anxiety was at its peak.”

Very typical of Dongwoo to predict how Sunggyu was feeling.

“I’m doing my best,” Sunggyu whispered.

“I know,” answered the doctor, sympathetically. “When we’re upset, we tend to say things we don’t mean. So, give him some time to calm down before you talk it out. And Myungsoo needs you both right now; he’s looking for you. So, go in there and put on a brave face for your equally brave son, okay?”

Sunggyu nodded and smiled in gratitude at his friend. “Thank you, Dongwoo. I really appreciate everything.”

The doctor shrugged again. “It’s my job. And love you guys.” He winked before walking off, waving at him as he whistled.

Sunggyu faced the closed door and took a deep breath, once again bracing himself before opening the door.

Myungsoo was sitting up on the hospital bed, propped up with pillows. It appeared that while Sunggyu was out of the room, hospital staff had brought him dinner.

From the doorway, he watched as his younger husband carefully and lovingly scooped up some soup and brought the spoon to their son’s lips. The little boy ate, making a face.

“Papa, this !”

From across the boy’s other side, Kibum laughed. “Your Papa’s soups are so much better, right?”

“Of course!” the little boy huffed, crossing his arms as he turned away from the next spoon.

“Yah, Kim Myungsoo, you have to eat this!” Woohyun scolded, attempting to feed him again. “You haven’t eaten all day.”

But, Myungsoo kept his lips shut and his head turned to the side. That was when he caught a glimpse of Sunggyu. His expression brightened.

“Appa!”

Woohyun took that moment to stuff the spoonful of soup in his open mouth.

Laughing as Myungsoo made a “bleh!” face, Sunggyu approached and sat on the bed next to him.

“Your Papa is right, you have to eat this so you’ll get stronger,” he said, rubbing the little boy’s head.

Myungsoo pouted. “But, it’s gross.”

Sunggyu pursed his lips. “Hmm… If I eat some, would you eat too?”

The little boy appeared to contemplate before nodding. Grinning, Sunggyu turned to Woohyun.

“Feed me, Papa?” he said in the cutest voice he could muster.

Woohyun frowned at him, as if to say, “Really?” But, at Myungsoo’s expectant face, he only sighed before bringing the spoon up to Sunggyu’s lips.

The older forced himself not to make a face as the soup made contact with his taste buds. It was some kind of creamy soup, but it was bland and he couldn’t taste a thing. Poor Myungsoo. Nonetheless, he forced himself to swallow.

“See?” he said to the little boy.

Myungsoo wrinkled his nose. “It’s gross,” he repeated.

Sighing, Sunggyu resigned himself to his fate. “Well, I’ll help you finish it, okay? That way, you won’t have to eat the gross soup alone.”

At the knowledge that his father was going to suffer along with him, Myungsoo finally nodded. He accepted the next spoon of soup without a fight, though he never hesitated to make a face.

“Me, next, Papa,” Sunggyu piped with a cute smirk.

Woohyun flashed him a silent look that said, “Are you serious?”

But, Myungsoo refused to take another bite unless Sunggyu did. So, sighing in resignation, Woohyun fed him too. This time, Sunggyu didn’t hold back in showing his displeasure. But, seeing his husband’s smile appear for a second made eating the tasteless soup worth it.

A throat clearing pierced the silence and they turned their attention to Kibum.

“Well, things seem to be okay now,” he stated, reaching out to ruffle Myungsoo’s hair. “I’ll head out. Hyun, I’ll call you?”

Woohyun nodded at him with a smile. “Thank you for today.”

“Yes, thank you,” Sunggyu added, quickly.

He couldn’t deny that Kibum’s assistance had helped bring Myungsoo to the hospital on time. And he did comfort Woohyun when… when Sunggyu couldn’t.

The rest of feeding Myungsoo dinner went well at the promise that he was allowed to have ice cream for dessert. True to their word, a nurse brought in a small bowl of ice cream, which he dug into, happily. And when the little boy was tucked in for the night, Sunggyu got ready to go home since only one guardian was allowed to stay the hospital. And Woohyun would be damned if it wasn’t him.

“I’ll take the morning off so I can pick you two up tomorrow,” he said, as he stood by the door, ready to leave.

Woohyun nodded. “Thanks. I already called the restaurant and told them that I’m taking the day off.”

Sunggyu nodded.

They stood there for a few moments in silence, either not entirely sure what to say. They couldn’t discuss what happened earlier in front of Myungsoo. And, even now, Sunggyu didn’t have any other words except for one.

He stepped forward to plant a kiss on Woohyun’s forehead. “I’m sorry, yeobo,” he whispered.

Woohyun didn’t say anything so he bid him good night and left for home.

Sleeping alone in their empty apartment that night made him restless. He found that slumber just escaped him. Plus, the coldness of Woohyun’s spot next to him just made him feel even lonelier.

It was to his relief when morning came. He had four hours of sleep yet he felt energetic. He packed up a change of clothes for his husband and son as well as some breakfast of fried eggs that he was sure Myungsoo would prefer compared to the hospital food. He was no Woohyun when it came to cooking, but he could cook a decent fried egg.

When he arrived at the hospital, it was still early. The halls were almost empty except for a few patients going on morning walks and nurses and doctors doing their rounds.

Myungsoo’s room was dark when he entered, both occupants still asleep. He went up to the hospital bed to place a kiss on Myungsoo’s head before depositing the bag of clothes and the lunchbox on a table. He approached the couch on the other side of the room where a sleeping Woohyun lay.

Sunggyu kneeled on the floor next to him to stare at his face. His husband looked absolutely weary with dark circles under his eyes and his hair disheveled from the lack of a wash. He was glad he brought some shampoo and the younger’s favorite body wash.

He reached out to Woohyun’s cheek, gently. At the touch, the younger’s stirred and soon, his eyes fluttered open. He let out a soft groan, blinking his eyes to rid it of sleep.

“You’re early,” he commented, sitting up on the couch.

Sunggyu sat beside him. “I brought breakfast and some clothes. If you want to shower, I brought shampoo and body wash too.”

Woohyun laid his head on his shoulder. “Thank you,” he said, softly.

They sat there in silence for a while, watching their sleeping son. Sunggyu wondered if his husband was still mad at him. He hoped this small display of affection meant that he no longer was. He couldn’t bear it if Woohyun still felt resentment for him. He had done everything he could to show him how much he loved him and how much he prioritized him. But, he always seemed to mess up.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

Woohyun raised his head to look at him and his expression was regretful. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have exploded on you like that. And I didn’t mean to accuse you. It’s just… there was so much on my mind and I was upset at myself for not seeing the signs that Myungsoo was sick and I couldn’t get in touch with you and… I’m sorry, yeobo.” He placed two hands on both of Sunggyu’s cheeks. “Forgive me?”

Sunggyu’s heart melted. “Only if you forgive me.”

Woohyun smiled. “Always.”

They sealed their apologies with a loving kiss. All was forgiven.

A/N: Finally! I finished it!

So, first, I just want to say "thank you" to each and everyone of you for being so patient with me during this difficult time for me. I have to admit, it hasn't been an easy two weeks (gosh, has it really been two weeks, already?). I'm not back up to par with my usual self yet so although writing is a huge relief, it's still taking me some time to finish a chapter. When it used to take me a max of 2-3 days to finish a chapter, it has taken me a week to write this one. But, I was really determined to get it up this week. This was actually supposed to go up last Tuesday, but unfortunately, I had a bit of an emotional breakdown (due to a lot of things that were both personal and not personal) so I wasn't able to finish it 'til today.

There are times and moments that are still painful when I'm reminded of Jonghyun's passing, so I just ask you guys to please be a little more patient with me in the upcoming weeks as I try to get back into my regular schedule with writing. 

Anywho, this chapter has a little bit of conflict for our WooGyu. Some jealousy on Sunggyu's part and Kibum reveals his true feelings for Woohyun. Poor Myungsoo had to get sick and eat gross soup. So, by my estimate, I have a total of 4 chapters left. I am planning some more conflict, a chapter written in Eunseo's point of view (very excited for this one; it might be shorter than other chapters, but you never know with me), and the last chapter will be an epilogue.

My planned tribute chapter for Jonghyun will be about 2 chapters from this one. I had already had it planned out and the title picked out, so I hope I do Jjong's memory well. I miss him so much.

On that note, if you believe in a higher being, please pray for my SHINee boys. If you don't believe in a higher being, please send them positive vibes. They need all the love and comfort at this time. 

But......... I am also very excited for Infinite's comeback! I already pre-ordered my album. Have you all seen the teasers? Namu looks like a guy from the Victorian-era who occasionally has tea with the Queen (lol!). And the video aesthetics looks like a combination of "Bad" and "The Eye". I'm very excited! Let me know in the comments how excited you are!

And did you guys read the article of Sunggyu's interview? He said he and Hoya still keep in touch and talk about their musicals! Honestly, that really warms my heart and it cheered me up so much! I'm glad that, in a way, believing in Infinite's bond and friendship does not disappoint. Hoya may no longer be a part of Infinite, physically, but now my heart is settled knowing that their friendship was true and I can forgive Hoya wholeheartedly and support him in his endeavors. 

The title of this chapter is inspired by Infinite's "A Person Like Me".

'Til the next one!