Yo, Captain. Flying already I hope?

Seunghyun barks a laugh upon reading the text message. Beside him, his manager gives a silent judging stare.

Soon, my dear, he types in his phone, still giggling quietly. Miss you and the prince so much.

Daesung’s reply comes fast and clear: Great, because Ken is missing you too.

Seunghyun inhales deeply and leans back on his seat, trying to relax. It was a trip to Singapore, only three days for a photoshoot purpose aka work. Sure, he enjoyed the trip and there were a lot of things he saw that he couldn’t find in Korea but still…he’d kill to be home as soon as possible. This was the first time that he had to work outside the country since the day they took Ken home. Fortunately, Daesung is lucky enough to have time to stay home until next month. Seunghyun worries for that, but envies him at the same time. It feels like his entire body is screaming to taste the presence of his son.

Also, the fact that he didn’t have chance to get his son a proper gift is upsetting.

“Is everything all right?” his manager nudges his side. “I guess we’re going to take off soon.”

“I hope so,” Seunghyun closes his eyes, trying to focus on Ken’s image in his head. He falls asleep not even three minutes later.

***

“Ken,” Daesung tries to smile, despite the ache in his chest. “He’ll be home soon.”

The three years old sniffs, tears are still flowing on his cheeks, glowing in his eyes like crystals. His nose has turned red and his body is shaking with hiccups. When he blinks, another lone tear falls.

“Really,” Daesung finally slips under the cover beside him, pulling his son close against him as they cuddle up together. Ken’s palm rests on his chest, as if counting the beats of his heart. “I promise.”

“Want Seunghyun–appa,” Ken sighs tiredly. “Come back?”

“Back? You meant home? He will, of course,” Daesung tries to assure him, his son’s hair softly. He has script to memorize, songs to practice and stuffs to do to prevent his house from being a spider nest but now, now is not time for those things. “He is on his way I guess, that’s why he didn’t reply to my text.”

“Want Seunghyun–appa,” the kid mumbles again, accompanied with another hiccup.

“He’s almost home,” Daesung wraps his arm around his son tighter. He feels so helpless; his parents are overseas to visit his sister, Seunghyun’s parents are out of town for a holiday. Nobody to send SOS signal to but himself. He couldn’t even tell Seunghyun that their son has been crying, afraid to ruin the older man’s mood.

“Seunghyun–appa,” Ken’s fresh tears end on Daesung’s shirt, his small body trembles with cries. “I want.”

“We do,” Daesung Ken’s back. “Let’s wait a little more, hmm?”

***

“He just suddenly cried,” Daesung massages his scalp, his neck hurts from the slightly uncomfortable laying position before. He didn’t want to move before he was sure that Ken was asleep. Waking him up from his slumber would result into more and more cries. He finally decided to call his mother after making sure that it’s a propriate time to wake up on the other side of the world. “I don’t know why.”

“Did you check his temperature?” his mom sounds calm and stable, Daesung can’t help but to feel jealous. He wants nothing more than a peaceful day in his house but what he got was a crying son, a messed up living room and pile of things that still should be done by tonight.

“Yes, it’s normal,” Daesung runs his finger through his hair, wishing to get rid of frustration. Pressing the phone against his ear, he adds, “He didn’t have cough either.”

“Did he tell you that he’s hurting?”

“No, nothing. Just that he wants his Seunghyun–appa. He didn’t tell me anything but that…”

“He is missing him, Daesung.”

“But not like this, never like today,” Daesung snaps, then remembers to quiet down his voice. “He practically cried himself to sleep…”

“Daesung,” his mother’s tone is a reprimand, an anchor, a rule. “Calm down.”

“How?” Daesung sighs, restless. “What am I supposed to do?”

“It’s the first time Seunghyun couldn’t come home for days, right?”

“Yeah…”

“Ken is sleeping, Seunghyun is on his way home. So, what are you supposed to do?” she asks with a smile that tugs a mirror of it on the corner of Daesung’s mouth. “I’m sure you have something to do.”

“Clean up,” Daesung’s eyes roam his entire living room. There are a lot of scattered things around him. “Why did I even decide to unload my old wardrob