“Don’t lie.” Donghae sighed. “Wookie, I know it was you who taught Kwanghaeng U Can’t Touch This.” He stared hard at his best friend, his small son hoisted on his hip.

Wookie blinked back innocently. “Hyung, it wasn’t me! How would he learn that song from me?” He tugged on Henry’s sleeve. “Henli…tell him it wasn’t me!” He gave his boyfriend a pleading look, which Henry ignored, because he was not getting into this.

Hyukjae backed up his partner. “It was you. We left him with you last night, and then he comes back singing ‘U can’t touch this’ and spent the entire night running around the hotel room, refusing to sleep and singing…that.”

“He’s three, Wookie.” Donghae told him. “Why would you teach a three year old that?”

Wookie was backed into a corner, his shifty look an admission of his guilt. “I didn’t mean to! I was just singing it at Henli, and then he heard and…um. Sorry?” He tried, looking earnestly up at Hyukjae and Donghae, Kwanghaeng his thumb in Donghae’s arms.

“…why were you singing it at Henry?” Donghae asked, confused as Kwanghaeng fussed and he set him down, holding his hand tightly so he wouldn’t get lost in the sea of people.

“Because he’s a tease.” Henry said. “He does it all the time when he’s drunk.”

“You were drunk?!” Hyukjae yelped. “Oh my god, you are never babysitting again…” He told Wookie, crossing his arms and glaring as he shook his head.

“No! No, I wasn’t drunk last night, I was only being silly. Hyung…” He gave Donghae the cutest look he could muster. “Please don’t let me never let me babysit again. You know I love being Uncle Wookie…”

Donghae snorted with laughter. He knew he could never resist his best friend for very long, and he knew he’d only been playing. Besides, Henry was responsible, and he would never have let Wookie do anything completely stupid. He looked down at his small son, who stood, fascinated by the colourful crowd of people in the festival, and crouched down next to him. Kwanghaeng didn’t look like either him or Hyukjae, but then, he wouldn’t. He was adopted. Half Korean and half American, he was a mischievous little three year old who had come to them through the American adoption agency Siwon’s girlfriend worked for.

Kwanghaeng stared up at his younger father. “It’s up to you, little one. Should we punish Uncle Wookie?” He had to fight the laughter.

Kwanghaeng shook his head, black hair flying out in a tousled mess because he had refused to let anyone brush it. “No!” He said loudly. “I like Uncle Wookie.” He grinned in a manner suspiciously like Wookie’s and Donghae silently vowed to keep an eye on them from now on.

“Looks like you’re off the hook then, Wookie.” Hyukjae laughed, and Ryeowook smiled brightly.

“I knew he was on my side.” Wookie clutched Henry’s hand and bounced excitedly. “He loves me.” Henry shook his head and raised an eyebrow, flicking Ryeowook’s forehead playfully. He looked away when Ryeowook pouted in response.

“Where is everyone?” Henry asked. It was mid-morning; around ten o’clock, and they had been waiting for the others for about fifteen minutes. It was a warm, sunny day, and they stood outside of a park in Chicago, waiting for the rest of their friends to get there so they could enjoy Pride, the gay festival.

It had become something of a tradition; every year they came for this, because Korea was still unreceptive to gay men and women, and they didn’t have this large festival dedicated to celebrating being “Queer and ing proud of it”, as Heechul put it. Their entire circle of friends tried to make it, and although not everyone got to go every year, this time, quite a few had been able to get the time off for a little holiday.

Donghae shrugged. He had no idea, and to be honest, it wasn’t really like any of their friends to be on time. Besides, it was only morning, and they had plenty of time to get in and have fun. They also had Henry, which was a huge plus, because whenever Heechul tried to speak English, all he ever got was confused glances, and the rest weren’t much better, although Zhou Mi was trying (Kyuhyun was extremely jealous of his pretty English teacher, Emily, although everyone told him Zhou Mi was so gay he probably didn’t even see her as a woman).

Hyukjae’s response was a cough, and a nudge of Donghae’s arm as he gestured for him to look. Donghae had to swallow, hard, so as not to let out a huge snicker at the sight of Heechul dressed as a woman. Heechul’s expression was disgruntled as Han Geng held his arm, a huge, -eating grin on his face as Kyuhyun laughed openly behind him and Zhou Mi shook his head.

“Uh. What?” Donghae asked, letting out a chuckle.

“Heechul lost a bet.” Kyuhyun sing-songed, smirking. “You should just bow down to me because I am awesome and will always win.”

“That’s hyung to you, Cho Kyuhyun, and shut up. Zhou Mi won. You just convinced him to make this my forfeit with ual favours.” A very pissed sounding Heechul told him, looking down in disgust at the skirt and fishnets he had been forced into by a very eager Han Geng, who was finding it all hilarious.

“But you look amazing.” Han Geng choked out through the laughter as Zhou Mi rolled his eyes.

“If you wouldn’t insist on playing drinking games, these things wouldn’t happen, Heechul-hyung.” He shrugged. “You know me and Kyuhyun always win.” His smile suddenly became very like the snarky one on Kyuhyun’s face as they high-fived and sniggered like school boys. Donghae felt the urge to pretend he didn’t know them as he clung tightly to Kwanghaeng’s hand. So that was four more. They were still waiting for Leeteuk, Siwon…and more people he couldn’t quite remember.

He snorted. “Heechul, if you weren’t going to dress up in drag, why have the clothes in your suitcase? It’s simple, just don’t bring them.”

Heechul sighed. “Hannie is .” He told him, as if that explained everything. Which it kind of did. Still. It wasn’t really anything Donghae wanted to picture, because he and Hyukjae might have dirty minds, but neither of them were into cross-dressing.

“Chullie, we’ve been through this.” Han Geng explained patiently. “If you didn’t enjoy it you wouldn’t let me dress you up, so please, stop denying the truth.” He rolled his eyes and laughed. “Besides, there are other guys in girl’s clothes.” He grinned evilly as Heechul narrowed his eyes and slapped the back of his head.

Donghae couldn’t help but smile. It might be ridiculous and all rather gay, but he was…happy, in amongst his friends, with the man he loved and the son he’d come to love. Things weren’t perfect; they never would be, because perfection was a stupid thing to aspire to, but he was content, and that was enough.

He hadn’t expected everything to be rosy those four years ago when Hyukjae had come to him, and they weren’t. The first argument they’d had, after getting back together, had been horrible, both of them convinced this was the end, until Donghae realised how stupid it all was. They’d had a worse fight about Hyukjae and the tornado chasing. Donghae had yelled so loud their neighbours had complained, and Hyukjae had been in tears when Donghae stormed off to Siwon’s for the week.

It had been childish, he knew, but he hadn’t been able to hide the fear that Hyukjae really would go too far and get killed, and as he’d left, he’d shouted that he wasn’t repeating history, and if Hyukjae couldn’t accept that, they were over. All very stupid, and as soon as he’d got to Siwon’s he had regretted saying it, but his pride and anger wouldn’t let him go back. It had taken an irate Siwon (Donghae kept interrupting his calls with his new girlfriend) dragging Hyukjae into the house and leaving them to it to reconcile them.

Once the shouting had stopped again, Donghae tried to explain, tried to show Hyukjae why it put him on edge. Hyukjae had listened quietly as Donghae muttered that he couldn’t stand the idea of losing Hyukjae the way he’d lost his father, and every time Hyukjae did his usual let’s-get-too-close act, he freaked out.

Hyukjae had asked why the hell he was in this career then, and what, did he expect him to quit the job he loved? Donghae had had no answer. Of course he didn’t want Hyukjae to quit his job, because that would make Hyukjae unhappy, and that was never something he liked. So instead he had said that he wished Hyukjae would understand his fear, instead of running straight at the tornado. Donghae did love his job; in a sick sort of sense, the fear was almost a plus, but he wasn’t a true masochist. And he wasn’t going to stand by and get scared again, because he’d only run away again, and they had gone through too much to let that happen. If nothing else, they’d broken a good man’s heart, so why should they waste the chance they had to be together?

Hyukjae had struggled with that, at first. He had felt incredibly guilty for how he had betrayed Sungmin, and it had been…hard. But Donghae understood, because he knew Hyukjae so well. He hadn’t forced him into talking about it; he knew Hyukjae would come to him, and when he cried, he didn’t call him a baby, like he would have in a jokey situation. He just held his hand, as he had done ever since he was an innocent ten year old boy who had lost his father.

That was why they fit together; they were similar in some senses and both knew the other so well, it was a connection that sometimes didn’t need words. It was why Hyukjae knew he had to understand Donghae’s (not entirely irrational) fear, and face up to it with him as a couple. Being a couple meant that you didn’t think in terms of what you, yourself were owed; you thought in terms of how it would benefit the both of you. And while he knew he couldn’t quit his job, because he loved it too much, he could at least give Donghae some semblance of hope by not being as much of an adrenaline junkie. Donghae had had to trust that when Hyuk said he’d take precautions, he meant it.

Donghae decided, after much thought, to quit storm-chasing. While there was a part of him angry at himself for abandoning his father’s dreams and his promise to himself to carry them on, he knew he couldn’t carry on and be sane. He could still be involved; his degree had been in meteorology, so it wasn’t as if he had to take a whole new career path. Just one that was a little more…stable. And one that resulted in him having to bite back less arguments.  

But what everyone commented on was how much happier Hae was, and how much brighter his smile was. Hyukjae was his other half in that cliché way, because they were too entwined. The thought made him grin foolishly at Hyukjae as they laughed at Heechul. Hyukjae’s hand found its way into the one that wasn’t keeping a tight grasp on Kwanghaeng, and his smile widened. He was happy.

“Appa, where uncle Wonnie?” Kwanghaeng demanded imperiously, tugging on Donghae’s hand.

“He’s not here yet.” Hyukjae told him quietly, hoping he wouldn’t get louder. He didn’t have to worry, because before Kwanghaeng could do his best impersonation of a pissed off Heechul, Siwon and the others appeared, Siwon waving cheerfully.

Kwanghaeng bolted towards his other favourite uncle as Donghae tried to grab him. He didn’t succeed, and could only thank God that Siwon caught him, negating any fatherly concern that his son would get lost in the crowd of people. Kwanghaeng had a habit of running towards colourful things.

Donghae was sure that half of Kwanghaeng’s grin was because of being able to escape his parents, as Siwon, Leeteuk and their respective partners came closer, Kwanghaeng trotting along, his hand in Siwon’s. Little traitor, both Donghae and Hyukjae couldn’t help but think, rolling their eyes at one another. The first thing out of Siwon’s mouth was: “Oh, Chullie. You lost again, I take it?” The glower he got in response made him step back in fear, as Eve, his girlfriend sniggered.

Yesung was missing; he usually made it to all of them, but this time was different. After Wookie had finally decided on Henry, after a couple of years of stringing the both along and numerous threesomes (Donghae really, really did not want to know about them, but Wookie insisted on telling him about them and he was shocked at how often Wookie engaged in them. He felt quite innocent, compared.), Yesung had disappeared for a while. Not that he was totally out of contact…he just hadn’t wanted to be there, understandably, because he was jealous of Henry.

And in the time he disappeared, by a bizarre twist of fate, he happened to meet Sungmin one day, while Sungmin was on a cigarette break, and soon, they were bonding over a shared cigarette and irritation at their second-guy status. It might have been a couple of years since Sungmin’s break up, but he could still empathise, and Yesung appreciated that. He appreciated it a lot, and they got closer, until they found themselves in a friendship that was more than platonic.

It had been uncomfortable for Hyukjae and Donghae to hear about it…but they had been relieved that both Sungmin and Yesung weren’t broken-hearted. Some days, Donghae wanted to ask Sungmin for forgiveness, but that was a selfish desire-what right had he to remind Sungmin of a horrible event in his life?

So this year, Yesung wasn’t here. But it was okay, he thought, as they all crowded into the festival. Leeteuk, now married, was already squabbling with his wife about what they were going to do first, and Siwon had handed over Kwanghaeng to Eve, who was cuddling him. Both Donghae and Hyukjae liked Eve; she was sweet and kind, and had done her utmost best to help them with the adoption.

She had been the girl Siwon had met in that hotel, and somehow had kept in touch with, so much so that he actually fell in love with her. His English wasn’t perfect, but because of her, it had improved, and she had tried to learn Korean for him. When she had met him, she had just finished her university degree and was on her way to becoming a social worker. When Donghae and Hyukjae had decided that they wanted a kid, because both of them had always wanted to be fathers, she helped out.

Their application hadn’t been accepted in Korea; it was still too much. They weren’t receptive to a gay couple, and it didn’t go with their idea of ‘family values’. It had hurt Hyukjae the most. They had never had a perfect time of it, what with being gay men in a culture that wasn’t quite comfortable with homouality, but the idea that they would be denied something like this simply because of them both being men had upset him.

That was where Eve had come in, with her bright smile and her reassurances that she could pull some strings. And that was how, two years ago, they got a jubilant call from her announcing that the then-one year old Kwanghaeng was theirs.  Their parents had been overjoyed to have another grandchild to spoil, and Sora, ever the inappropriate sister, had felt it prudent to dispense her sisterly wisdom (which Hyuk subsequently ignored). 

A/N Okay, so this is part one of the epilogue. ^~^ I will try to get the second part up tomorrow...I have been completely swamped with trying to recover from being in hospital, while catching up with work and getting a cold, and then having to do my university application in a weekend because I missed the first week. All very stressful and I have been exhausted, with no time to do anything. Sorry. ;-; I don't really like this...but I hope it's good enough~! Thank you to all readers/subscribers/commenters. I really do love you all.