Saturday morning and Gain was sitting on the couch eating a popsicle when Heechul came out of his room. He hopped over the back of the couch to sit down next to her, smiling.

“Hey babe,” she said with a soft smile, her lips red from the cherry flavored ice.

“Hi,” Heechul said, wrapping his arm around her waist. Gain moved so her back was against his chest, her head resting on his shoulder. Heechul rested his hand idly on her belly. “Where’s everyone?” He asked.

“Simon took Leeteuk and the girls out. Grocery shopping I think.”

“You didn’t want to go?” Heechul asked, resting his cheek against her head.

“Nope, I wanted to stay home and listen to angry songs, being unsociable. But, as you can see I ended up watching Saturday morning cartoons.”

Heechul chuckled. “They’re better than being angry.”

“Oh, I’m still angry, I’m just ignoring it.”

“You should get Simon to rough you up a little.”

“I could beat the crap out of Simon and Leeteuk right now.” Gain chuckled, finishing her popsicle.

Heechul smiled. “How about me? Beat me up?”

Gain shook her head and pet his arm. “I love your pretty face too much to bruise it up.”

“If only everyone felt that way,” Heechul said softly, trying to ignore the sudden flashbacks of his past.

“Those people don’t matter Chullie. Anyone who would hurt you is long gone.”

Heechul smiled and took her hand, lacing their fingers together. “How’s Kwon?”

Gain sighed heavily and kept playing with his fingers. “He’s ignoring my phone calls. Last I heard from him he said he wouldn’t talk to me until I’d calmed down. Fat chance of that happening any time soon.”

“Have you two decided what to do?”

“I told him I wasn’t going with him. He tried to claim that I’m in love with you and Simon more than him. I told him it was bull, but we just kept yelling about stuff that didn’t matter, little things that annoy us about each other. He asked me to leave. I think he doesn’t want to break up, but if he wants that job, that’s his option.”

Heechul nodded. “Sounds like both of you could use a break to breathe and think.”

“Yeah,” she sighed. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore right now, Chullie. How have you been?”

“Me?” He smiled. “Tired. Really tired.”

“Not sleeping well?” Gain moved to face him, petting his cheek and looking at his color.

Heechul had the beginnings of deep dark circles under his eyes. “I’ve been having off and on nightmares that he’s back.”

Gain nodded. “That’s no good, sweetie. Have you told Teukie?” She pet through Heechul’s hair watching him close his eyes.

Heechul took a deep breath. “Teuk found me after the first one. He helped me get back to sleep. But I haven’t told him about any of the others.”

Frowning, Gain pulled Heechul against her chest, hugging him tightly. “You’ve got to tell him, but you know that already.” She smiled softly. “But are you having them every night?”

Cuddling against her, Heechul kept his breathing calm. “It’s only happening when I sleep alone. If I’m with someone, I don’t have the nightmares, but as soon as I nap alone, or sleep alone, they’re there.”

“Why are you sleeping alone anyway with such a hot guy?” Gain teased.

Heechul laughed softly. “I want him to have his own time too. Every minute doesn’t have to be about me.”

Gain nodded. “Sure, there’s that. But I would want him every night, just saying.”

Sitting up again, Heechul ruffled her hair. “I’m sure you would, but you can’t have him.” He stuck his tongue out, shaking his head from side to side.

“I’ll fight you for him,” Gain teased.

Heechul laughed loudly. “Only you’d probably win, because I won’t hit you.”

“My chivalrous Heechul.” Smiling, Gain leaned to kiss his cheek. “I’m getting another popsicle, want one?”

“Yeah, sure.” Heechul smiled, watching her go into the kitchen. “Hey,” he called. “Know what we need?”

“What’s that?” Gain asked, bringing him back a popsicle, already hers.

Taking the banana flavored popsicle, Heechul smiled as Gain sat beside him again. “We need a noraebang night.”

“Ooh, Chullie’s going to treat everyone to karaoke?” She grinned.

“I will, let’s drag the others out when they get back home.”

“Sounds like fun to me,” Gain said. “You know?” She asked, popping her lips off the popsicle. “When I picture the four of them at a grocery store, I think of Leeteuk acting like the dad, Simon the old man uncle and Vic and Jia as the four year old twins, asking for everything and running down the aisles causing hell.”

Heechul started laughing loudly, almost cackling as sister images to Gain’s imagination played through his head. “And Leeteuk would have all kinds of stains on his shirt, giving apologetic looks to the rest of the people.”

Nodding, Gain grinned. “And Simon would be yelling threats at the girls, getting disapproving looks from all the old ladies in the store.”

“You realize I’m never going to be able to go to the store with them again without laughing?” Heechul smirked.

“You’re welcome,” Gain laughed.

They chuckled together, looking at the TV again as they ate their popsicles.

“So, what do you think Victoria’s thing for Leeteuk is all about?” Heechul asked Gain. “Should I be worried?”

“I don’t think so,” Gain said. “I think it’s just that thing little girls do with their dad and mom. They try and take daddy away from mommy because he’s hers, kind of thing. She’s just testing boundaries. But Leeteuk always keeps her at arm’s reach. She’ll get it.”

Heechul smiled. “Do girls really do that?”

“Oh yeah,” Gain said. “Boys do it with their moms too. Mom is theirs and dad is a bad guy for thinking otherwise.”

Heechul chuckled, nodding. “I kinda remember the few years where mom was all mine and dad could go to hell.”

“It’s normal,” Gain smiled. “Kids usually go through that before they’re eight. But if the parents don’t stop the kid and assert that while they love them, mommy and daddy are exclusive, it can cause real problems when they turn into teenagers and manipulate their way into what they want.”

Grinning, Heechul finished his popsicle. “I should have taken more psychology classes.”

“No, they’re really boring. Don’t worry about it.” Gain laughed softly.

“Mm, still. I may have known some warning signs for my past relationships before things got ugly.”

Gain smiled over at him. “Even knowing everything, you’d still make mistakes. It’s just life Chul. Yours has been hard, but it’s still your life.”

Heechul nodded, smiling as he looked at her. “How did you get so smart?”

“I listen,” Gain teased and hugged him tightly. “And I love you most, so I’m always paying attention to you.”

Setting both their finished popsicle sticks aside, Heechul relaxed back on the couch, hugging Gain tightly. He kissed the top of her head. “I love you.”

“Best buddies for life.” Gain smiled.

“Forever,” Heechul agreed, watching the cartoons over her head.