Ryeowook only took one more bite of the apple before spitting it out. “Owwie!” he whimpered, tears gathering in his eyes.

“What happened, bunny?” Kangin asked, coming over to the table and crouching beside the highchair he and Ryeowook were level.

The toddler pointed to his face, opening his mouth and pointing inside it. “Owwie,” he cried, stretching his arms to show that he wanted to be held.

Kangin didn’t hesitate to comply and lifted him out of the highchair so he could cradle him to his chest. “Did you bite yourself?” he asked, to which Ryeowook responded with a whimper. He gently rocked the sniffling toddler back and forth. “I think it is time for you to sleep,” Kangin said, not interested in letting Ryeowook stay up so long that he got fussy.

The toddler whimpered again. “Umma sleep,” he whined, looking at Leeteuk.

“One second,” Leeteuk said as he stood up and went to the sink to wash his hands. He then came over and took the toddler from Kangin’s embrace.

“Umma owwie,” the toddler insisted and pointed at his neck now.

Leeteuk frowned softly. “Does your neck hurt? Did you catch a cold or something?” he asked, leaning in to feel the boy’s forehead with his own. Ryeowook didn’t seem to have a fever so he brushed it off as possible fussiness, though he made a mental note to keep an eye on the toddler. He began making his way to the bathroom to change the toddler’s diaper, meeting Heechul and Sungmin as they were coming out of there.

“Wookie sleep,” Ryeowook told his friend and yawned cutely. Sungmin looked at Ryeowook and then at his mother, tugging at Heechul’s sleeve.

“Minnie sleep too?” he asked with big, hopeful eyes. He liked sleeping next to Ryeowook a lot.

“Sure, if you want to,” Heechul agreed with a smile, not one to argue if his son wanted to go down for his nap early. Sungmin giggled happily.

“We’ll be there in a sec,” Leeteuk said with a smile.

Ryeowook whimpered once again when he was laid down, so Leeteuk began humming a quiet song to calm him down while he changed his diaper. The toddler’s chubby legs kicked in the air when Leeteuk tickled his stomach lightly, causing a small giggle. “Let’s get you to bed, hmm?” Leeteuk hummed once he had gotten the toddler in his pyjamas. He made his way to Ryeowook’s room, the toddler still cradled to his chest. It was a good thing Ryeowook’s crib was rather broad so both toddlers would be able to sleep in it without anyone getting squished. Sungmin stood up in the crib, leaning against the side while he babbled happily, looking at Heechul who was trying to find his pyjamas in the diaper bag.

“Good thing I always come prepared,” he chuckled and held up the pyjamas triumphantly just as Leeteuk put Ryeowook in the crib and kissed him goodnight. Heechul quickly changed Sungmin’s clothes and the oldest toddler was quick to lie down beside the already half asleep Ryeowook. Heechul sang a short goodnight song for them and it wasn’t long before both toddlers were fast asleep. Leeteuk gently closed the door behind Heechul when the other man exited the room, making sure the baby alarm was on.

“Can I see your room?” Heechul asked, tilting his head curiously.

“Uhm… Sure?” Leeteuk replied with a puzzled look.

“It’s just that you can tell a lot about a person from their room,” Heechul said with a teasing little smile. Leeteuk had to admire his honesty. Once in the room, Heechul did not restrain himself but immediately started to look all over. He looked behind the books on the shelf, in the closet and in the drawers. Just as Leeteuk remembered the picture he had put in his sock drawer and got up from where he had been sitting on his bed to stop the older from finding it, Heechul withdrew said picture from the drawer. “Who’s this?” he asked, a sense of betrayal dripping from his tone. If Leeteuk already had a boyfriend there was nothing to justify that he was flirting with Zhoumi also. Even though Heechul liked Leeteuk, he had known Mimi for years, they were very close friends and he didn’t want to see his friend get hurt.

Leeteuk’s shoulders slumped as he sat back on the edge of his bed. He didn’t know if he was ready to tell his story yet, but seeing Heechul’s intense stare, he knew he would have to. “It’s my ex-boyfriend,” he admitted slowly.

Heechul looked closer at the picture. Leeteuk seemed younger in it. “Why do you keep it there?” Heechul demanded. He didn’t know how to read Leeteuk’s body language right now; the younger almost seemed scared, but that didn’t make a lot of sense.

“To remind myself that things are not always what they look like,” Leeteuk whispered, looking up at the older with a forlorn look in his eyes.

Heechul’s hard expression immediately softened and he sat down beside the younger. “Do you want to tell me about it?” he asked tentatively, placing a hand over Leeteuk’s hand.

Said hand began shaking but Leeteuk did his best to collect his thoughts. “I met him in my third year of high school,” he began slowly. “And he was… perfect. I fell in love with him. When I came out to my parents by introducing him to them they kicked me out. His parents took me in but they were rarely home. I was happy to be with him, but slowly he began to act… differently. More condescending. It slowly evolved into psychological abuse. I didn't... I didn't realise that it was slowly deteriorating me. I didn't realise what he was doing. And then one night he hit me several times. He hadn't hit me before. I had caught him red-handed with a girl and he didn't like that I got angry because of that. When I woke up, he wasn't in the house anymore. It was like I suddenly saw what he had done to me emotionally. I felt like a shadow of the person I used to be. I packed my things and fled the house, stayed at a friend's house at first. Later my aunt got in touch with me, after my parents finally told her why I didn't live at home anymore. She cut ties with my parents and used a lot of money trying to find me. She took me in and helped me get through university. Once I got a hold of myself I swore that if I am ever to have children, I will love them unconditionally so that no child of mine would have to depend on other people like I had to. So they will know how much they are worth and hopefully not stay with people who don’t treat them right.”

By now a steady stream of tears was flowing down Leeteuk’s cheeks and he tried to dry th