Lying next to each other on the same bed for the first time inside their own home was an ordeal the both of them weren’t used to. It was a little strange and a little awkward, but they gradually became accustomed to it. They were never intimate with each other before deciding to share a bed, a blanket, and a room. This was all so new and different that it was difficult getting near one another at first, afraid of entering the other’s personal space.

Unable to sleep one night Sehun flipped onto his side and found himself staring at Namjoo, who was asleep facing him. For a long time he remained like that, watching her before shifting over and gently lifted her head up before setting it down on his arm. He was curious and he wanted to do something new. Namjoo was still asleep and didn’t budge until a moment later when her eyes suddenly opened. She looked half-awake but their eyes met and he suddenly became nervous. Would she move away? Would she say something spiteful? However, Namjoo closed her eyes again and returned to sleep. After that, sometimes he would spend his nights watching her sleep and the warm feelings it gave him were so surprising.

They ate together in the mornings as they’d promised at the vacation house, and Namjoo didn’t go out without leaving him a note or she’d relay a message to him through their housemaid. One morning after breakfast Sehun had started up the stairs to prepare for work. When he entered their room, Namjoo held out an outfit she’d ironed that morning. It was the start of another one of their morning routines that didn’t get old.

After Namjoo got pregnant he found himself reading books and searching the web for any food that would help maintain her and the baby’s health. Alongside the baby they were expecting, he also wanted Namjoo to stay healthy and made an effort to keep her cheerful. He wasn’t aware that by doing it, it only brought him a step closer to treasuring her more than he thought he would.  

“What are you doing?” Namjoo questioned from the doorway of the kitchen.

Sehun turned away from the stove and walked toward her. Taking her arm he led her to the table. “Sit here for a moment.”

Namjoo frowned and looked at him. “Why are you cooking again?”

“I wanted to try something out,” he eagerly expressed before setting a bowl of some boiled chicken and rice down in front of her. “I used a different method to make it. Eat it, is it good?”

Namjoo stared down at the bowl before twisting her head back to look at the stove and the counter before turning to him. “Maybe you should leave the kitchen to the housemaid.”

“Why?” he asked before looking back at the mess he made then turned back to her. “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna ask her to clean up. So? Is it good?”

Namjoo picked up the spoon without a choice and took a bite of the porridge before smiling. “It’s good.”

And he was sure that she must’ve tired of him being in the kitchen so much that she rarely came to check on him to see what he was up to. He didn’t mind though. He’d always find her somewhere around the house and make her try one of his new recipes and she would have no choice but to eat.

Whenever Namjoo experienced pain during her pregnancy, he couldn’t explain how awful he felt seeing her cry from it. Even if Namjoo sometimes refused his comfort, she would squeeze his hand with so much strength that he thought his bones were breaking. Sehun was sure that on the day Namjoo went into labor, he’d been the most exaggerated in the waiting room that he embarrassed their parents. He was certain, at one point, that he was the most eager for his baby’s arrival.

When they finally had Ki Woon, he tried to make it up to Namjoo by letting her sleep while he spent majority of his nights tending to the fussy baby. And in the nights when he wasn’t aware, Namjoo would come watch him with the baby cradled in his warm arms. Other times, she would take the baby from him when he fell asleep, cover him with a blanket, and walk around the house to calm the baby down and settle him into a sleep. Then in the mornings he’d discover Namjoo asleep on the couch.

As Ki Woon grew older Sehun began to realize how important he was in their lives. Both his and Namjoo’s affection went to him and it also made them unconsciously kinder to each other. They spent so much more time together inside and outside the house. Namjoo smiled more and she also began speaking to him a lot more. So many things transitioned in their lives and he began to rely on her more for comfort and so many other things he couldn’t explain. Namjoo’s presence was such a strong influence on him that even just having her there made him feel warm and joyful.

Unlike how he hesitated to touch her when they were awake, when they slept he felt much freer to approach her. When Namjoo slept he’d find the chance to comb his hand through her soft hair and maybe even lightly put his arms around her. In broad daylight he hesitated to touch her due to the fear that she would reject him and move away. Even some two years after their marriage, Sehun still felt troubled around her.

It wasn’t until one morning when she kissed him and said, “Have fun at work,” that he thought the boundary that had been there cleared. And after that, he kissed her whenever he wanted.

On his days off, he’d play with Ki Woon around the house and Namjoo would join in sometimes. When Ki Woon tired of his games he’d crawl over to Namjoo and beg her to carry him, and when she refused jokingly he’d cry and turn around to stare at Sehun until he went to pick him up. It was these joyful days that accompanied him for more than a year. Sehun wished Ki Woon would never grow up so that Namjoo’s joyful remarks might remain with him forever.

On New Year’s when his parents came to pick Ki Woon up to stay with them did he finally get some time with Namjoo. After watching some old movies together he back hugged her in front of the window and they silently watched the snow fall down. By then Namjoo didn’t try to avoid his approaches like she did after their return from the vacation house.

“It’s been hard on you. I don’t mind if you complain or yell, you know,” he leaned his face against the back of her head and ran his finger over hers just to feel the ring that had never been removed.

The thought that she hadn’t yet taken it off warmed him. Even after he’d asked her so many times if she wanted to take it off, she had never once answered. It worried him a lot at first. What if Namjoo really decided to take it off as he’d thought the first year of their marriage? It didn’t matter to him so much before, but it suddenly became such a bigger deal since their first night.  

“I know.”

They argued once in a while, but he never really heard her whine or make a fuss about anything. And Namjoo being that way made him insecure about the fact that she might secretly be unhappy about something she wasn’t sharing with him. The marriage that they had been forced into, he wondered if she hated submitting to it, if she still had any negative feelings toward it. Sehun had honestly resented her and the marriage, but he soon realized silently complaining about how he felt married to himself wasn’t changing anything. He realized then, that after opening up to her some more made him see so much more. His wife had a lot of secret charms which drew him in endlessly. And the start of making amends to their marriage made him desperate to keep her.

“Namjoo,” he said, “I’m glad we got married even if it wasn’t the best from the start.”

She clamped her eyes shut and slightly leaned her head against his arm, “Oh…”

Sehun tried to catch their reflection from the window but could barely see it. Readjusting his arms around her he further leaned his face into her hair. If Namjoo might say something about her feelings he would make sure she had everything she ever wanted. If she wanted freedom, he’d grant it to her, but she never spoke a thing about her feelings. It was always Ki Woon, their son was the only reason why she smiled at him.

After reading so much, he found himself embedded in children’s books and that was where he came across fairytales. In those stories the prince and the princess would always go together and live happily ever after. He was content with what he had right now, but because of those stories he kept wondering if this was really his happily ever after.

Namjoo’s eyes opened the moment he kissed her hair.  

“I love you.”

Namjoo never replied, but he would continue to cradle her in his arms. He would hold her for as long as possible until she would tell him she didn’t want him anymore. And thankfully, those words had not yet escaped her lips.

Some days he would kiss Namjoo without fear and on other days Namjoo would first kiss him. Sometimes he would wonder how many of those kisses from her were sincere.

On one of his days off, he spent the entire afternoon with Ki Woon inside his playroom. Having becoming lost in thought while reading he only returned to reality when Ki Woon hit his leg with his tiny hand.

“Mm? What was that?” Setting the book down he pulled three year old Ki Woon toward him.

“Daddy, look!” Ki Woon proudly held up his stick drawing of the small family.

Sehun stared at the clumsy stick drawings and joyfully laughed when he saw that Ki Woon had drawn him and Namjoo holding hands.

“Is it pretty? Mommy said holding hands is special,” he confidently spoke. “Daddy, you and mommy hold hands?”

He stared at his son lost in silence before his hair with a smile. That night after a shower he found Namjoo sitting on their bed with a book in hand. Climbing onto the bed beside her he leaned over to look at what she was reading before Namjoo turned to look at him.

“What?” she asked.

“Is it interesting?” he asked. “The book.”

She turned to look at the book before setting it down beside her. “Why? Is something troubling you?”

He glanced at her hand and entwined his fingers through hers, “Ki Woon asked if we ever hold hands.”

“Kids talk a lot,” Namjoo replied lightly flexing her fingers around his.

“He’s growing up well, right?” he questioned. “He looks like you.”

“Why would he look like me?” she wondered.

“I’d want him to look pretty like you.”

He leaned over to kiss her before moving back so that they were only a breath apart. Unlike before at the vacation house where he couldn’t see himself in her eyes, this time he could see his own reflection there.

After a quick peck on her cheek he said, “Are you happy? I’m happy.”

Namjoo tightened her fingers around his hand and wrapped her free arm around him. She smiled and gave him a peck on the lips, “I’m happy.”

Brushing his fingers along her face and combing them into her hair he kissed her the whole night.  

Ki Woon continued growing up, his love for his wife continued expanding, and Namjoo gradually became happier. The days continued the same until they had their second child, Ki Hoon.

The house became louder and filled with life. Ki Woon threw his tantrums, tossed his toys around, and cried loudly. They would take turns consoling him while the other tended to Ki Hoon. Instead of staying home all the time, Namjoo would go outside for volunteer activities and find small part time jobs to keep herself active. During these times, Sehun would take her place in the house and look after the boys. Ki Woon would be starting kindergarten soon and Ki Hoon would become a year older. His family was growing older as well as he and Namjoo, and this part about growing old together was probably one of the happiest things in his life.

Namjoo eventually changed. She’d yell at him out of frustration sometimes, but this new side of her was refreshing and he was glad she was yelling. Arguments became more frequent but as adult as they were, they were quick to apologize. Sometimes in the middle of the night he’d wake up to Namjoo hugging him. Other nights they stayed up to talk and other nights they kissed and made love.

This was marriage. This was the life he’d submitted to. This was what he’d wanted. This was his life and he was happy with just that. This…was his own fairytale ending with Namjoo.

“Hm?” he asked turning his face into her hair, his arms locked around her as they slowly danced inside their room.

Namjoo clung onto his shoulders with her head settled beside his neck. “Should we take the boys out this weekend?”

They rocked back and forth gently in the other’s arm, calmed by the silence of the snowfall outside. He liked this, he really liked this.

“What should we do?”

“What about skating or sledding?” Namjoo suggested. “We can each take one of the boys.”

“Sounds good,” he smiled into her hair, “and while they play we can have some coffee together.”

Namjoo wrapped her arms around his neck before tilting her head up to look at him. After a second she ran her hand through his hair. “Ki Hoon looks like you.”

“I noticed.” His face beamed with a smile before he kissed her forehead. “You smell good.” He heard her snort before asking, “It’s just my soap, huh?”

She kissed him before saying, “Sehun, do you want another baby?”

He ran his fingers through her hair. “Lets have a girl. I want a pretty girl.”

They kissed again for another minute before separating. Having her near was so heartwarming. He really loved her.

“Sehun,” she called his name again.

“Yea?”

Namjoo ran her hand over his jawline before smiling up at him. He looked down at her with expectation. She was so beautiful.

“Thank you, for loving me,” she pulled his face toward hers and leaned her eyes against his cheek, “I love you.”

The thudding of his heart was really no joke. It raced and hurled inside his chest. He reached for her hand and clutched onto it before kissing the ring on her finger. Holding it close between their shoulders he kissed her face endlessly until they were both out of breath. Leaning their faces together he smiled against her nose before giving her a quick peck and hugged her. They continued gently rocking in each other’s arms, his hand still holding onto hers.

“I love you,” he said, “I’m happy we got married.”

She smiled when he dug his face into her hair. “Oh Sehun, lets live together for a long time.”

“Yes, lets do that.”      

***Hehehehe ^^ I honestly thought it was cute when they played with Ki Woon, probably the only scene I wrote that made me want to squeal xDD Too bad I don't know a lot about children, since I'm never surrounded by any, so I couldn't come up with good scenerios for Namjoo and Sehun and their kids.  

***I hope you enjoyed reading ^^