“Seungdal’s bottle is here in case you need it and just so you know, you need it when his screams won’t die in a matter of fifteen minutes because that means he is hungry and don’t you dare starving my baby.” Kyuhyun panicked a little at the sight of a dressed up diva throwing him a very much threatening glare. He glanced at another male standing next to the doors and rolling his eyes with barely noticeable amusement.

“Okay,  I think I’ll…”

“And,” The elder cut him off. “Don’t let Jangmi watch any more of those horrible movies she tries to sneak behind my back all the time, that lovely little devil, don’t trust her big eyes – they’re always up to no good, because she has nightmares after watching them and I am sure of it, no matter how much she denies it, so just don’t. Hanbyeol will help you… Well, I’m not entirely convinced she will, but she won’t let Jangmi kill you so I guess it counts as help as well.” He lifted his right hand as if to rub his hair but stopped the movement inches apart from his head, probably realizing how much time he had spent styling the hair. His hand went down.

“Got it hyung, you can lea—“

“Ah!” Kyuhyun got cut off yet again. “Seungdal’s sleeping now but if you’re too loud he’ll definitely wake up and when he does – his change clothes are in the small drawer next to Hanbyeol’s bed.”

Kyuhyun arched his eyebrow. “Change clothes…?”

The other only smirked and didn’t say anything. Instead, another voice joined their conversation.

“Baby,” the owner of said voice left his spot next to the doors and put his hands on the diva’s waist. “Maybe you’ll stop scaring our lifesaver off for now? He looks like he’s already regretting his decision to help us out.” He said winking at Kyuhyun

The elder puffed his cheeks. “Shut up, Chinaman. I just want our kids alive when we come back.”

Hangeng chuckled. “I’d rather worry about Kyuhyun more, Chullie. You know Jangmi.”

“Yeah,” Heechul smiled fondly. “I do.”

Hangeng pecked his boyfriend’s lips before speaking again. “You know our numbers, right?” Kyuhyun nodded. “Right. So call us if something happens.”

“But it better not.” Heechul muttered under his nose. “Girls!” He half-shouted in the direction of the stairs. “Where are my goodbye kisses?”

A quiet click of doors, the sound of little feet hurriedly walking down and two happy faces appeared in the hall before throwing themselves onto their parents. The older girl, Hanbyeol, immediately climbed her six years old body up the Chinese while her two years younger sister stared up at his eyes and lifted her little arms, ready to be placed in her father’s hold as well.

“Appa!” Jangmi trilled encircling her hands around Hangeng’s neck. “When are you coming back? Are you getting us any gifts? I want that movie you told me about earlier when umma took away mine! Can you get it for me? Can you? Please!”

Hangeng laughed while ruffling her hair and throwing a small look at Heechul. Who didn’t look too pleased with what he was hearing. “Yah! Chinaman! Is there something you want to tell me?”

“Aaah, no, of course. You know I love you, Jangmi my child, but if you want your appa to be able to give you any presents in the future, you definitely need to learn to keep quiet in particular situations. Like your sister here,” He attempted to ruffle Hanbyeol’s hair as well but she looked at him reproachfully.

“Appa.” She said calmly. “I told you to stop doing that. You’ll ruin my hair!”

Kyuhyun giggled when the beautiful child wriggled out of her appa’s hold and went to Heechul who was watching the scene with amusement.

“See? My little girl knows what matters in life, unlike someone else I know.” Heechul eyed the pair in front of him, who looked at each other and shrugged with identical stupid grins on their faces. “Come here and give me my kiss, Byeollie!” He exclaimed.

“Umma!” Hanbyeol whined after placing big and probably very wet kiss on her umma’s cheek. “Don’t call me that in public!”

“What public?” Asked Heechul confusedly. “There’s only uncle Kyuhyun here.”

Hanbyeol pouted and mumbled something incoherent under her nose. Heechul looked at her suspiciously. “Byeollie?” The girl didn’t answer.

"Okay!” Said Hangeng, sensing trouble in the air. “Baby, shouldn’t we head out? You know, it’s 6:30 already and…”

“What?! Why didn’t you say so earlier?! We’re going now! Hurry up Hannie, what’s been taking you so long?!”

Everyone in the hall rolled their eyes, even the, still sulking a little, six year old.

“Bye umma, appa!” The girls shouted in unison after their parents. (“! I forgot to tell Kyu about… Ah whatever, he’ll figure it out anyway. Hurry up Chinaman!”)

When the doors finally closed, the two lovely children turned around to face their uncle.

“Uh…” Kyuhyun cleared his throat. Why are the girls staring at him like that? Does he have something on his face? And why is he suddenly feeling so weird? “W-what do you… I mean. Should I… ugh. Can.. Can you wait a second?”

In the illusory safety of the bathroom, Kyuhyun fished out his phone and pressed the speed dial number, pacing nervously between the sink and the basket filled with dirty clothes.

“H-hello?” He stuttered when the person on the other side picked up. “Hae, I need your help. Badly.”

“Jangmi, please!” whined Kyuhyun hopelessly. “Can’t we just watch some cartoon? Heechu- I mean, your umma said you’re going to have nightmares afterwards.”

Jangmi shrugged, not tearing her eyes away from the TV. Kyuhyun looked at her older sister. “Hanbyeol…?”

The girl continued painting her nails yellow. “She likes it, uncle.”

“How can you even see what you’re painting in that darkness...” Kyuhyun muttered, in the middle of silently cursing his boyfriend who had been apparently too busy to even talk to him, ending their exceptionally short phone call with ‘You’ll manage Kyu, just let them watch the TV and give them some candies and you’re free I tell you! Oh wait a second. Yes Hyukkie, I’m coming, don’t turn the music on yet! Sorry Kyu, I gotta go, kids want to dance. Good luck!’

So maybe Kyuhyun could understand it, Donghae had been working after all, but not so surprisingly it didn’t make him any less nervous. Why did he even agree on doing this? …Ah yes. You do not say no to Kim Heechul.

The temporary babysitter sighed heavily and went back to cursing his boyfriend in his mind when suddenly an excruciating scream broke the silence of the living room.

Before he even had time to react, another yell joined the first one.

“Yah! Kim Jangmi! What do you think you’re doing?! I just painted my whole middle finger because of you!” Hanbyeol stood up, glaring at her sister who had tears in her eyes already.

“U-unnie… I- it’s not my fault, did you see this?” Jangmi stuttered pitifully pointing at the plasma in front of her where a huge wolf was escaping a place wholly covered with blood. Kyuhyun sighed yet again.

“Okay girls,” he started before the pissed mini-diva managed to yell for the second time. “I guess it means it’s time to sleep, come on.”

The last thing he wanted now was waking up the baby sleeping upstairs.

“But uncle! It’s too early!” Jangmi protested loudly, though still shaking a little.

Kyuhyun put his finger on her lips in panic. “Shhhhh!” Too late, he realized as a high baby cry reached their ears. Kyuhyun felt like crying himself. “Thanks girls. Just.. Thanks. Gosh, what now? Heechul’s gonna kill me for sure! And then bury me without the funeral, he’ll just make Hangeng dig a hole big enough for what’s left of my body and Hae will totally cry himself to death as well, or worse – he’ll go back to Hyukjae and forget about me completely, just living happily with that stupid Monkey and… What?!” He snapped at the girl who’s been tugging his shirt for a while now.

Hanbyeol looked at him offended.

“I just wanted to help you uncle, but if you don’t need it…” she turned and headed to the kitchen.

“W-wait!” He shouted after his last hope walking away. “Byeollie!”

Jangmi tsked. “She hates to be called that.”

“Right.” Kyuhyun nodded to himself and entered the kitchen as well, little devil scurrying behind him. “Hanbyeol? Can you.. Can you make him stop?” The girl nodded, fixing her hair. “Then… I will be grateful forever if you, you know. Go up there and…” he made some awkward movements with his hands hoping she’ll understand him.

The six year old looked at him and hummed. “Okay, I don’t like his screaming either way—“

“Wait!” Jangmi stopped her and turned to the elder with a smirk on her angel-like face. Uh-oh, thought Kyuhyun, it isn’t good… No good at all. “What’s in it for us?”

Kyuhyun calmed himself mentally. Negotiations, okay, he could do it. It’s what his job basically consisted of, so.

1. Start with minimum.

“I’ll give each one of you a candy from the box your umma hid from you earlier.”

2. Hear out the expectations of the other side.

“Oh nooo, that’s too little, uncle, and you know it.” Jangmi gave him a judging look. “We want at least two more hours out of bed, pancakes with syrup and hot chocolate for dinner. Plus revealing where the box of candies is.”

3. Keep a poker face and think of a compromise.

“One hour, hot chocolate and three candies each.” He decided after a minute of thinking. Seungdal’s scream making it harder than usual.

Jangmi gaped. “Come on, uncle! An hour and a half and we have to eat something before sleeping!”

“An hour is a max. Or I’ll make it a half. As for the dinner, your umma left us a salad so don’t worry, you won’t starve.”

“Fine,” Jangmi huffed while her sister giggled. It wasn’t an everyday thing for the younger to not get everything she wanted. “But we want marshmallows to the choco too!”

Kyuhyun contemplated it for a second. “Okay,” he finally agreed and smiled. “No go and please make him sleep again!”

“Here you are, hot choco, 5 marshmallows for everyone,” Said Kyuhyun half an hour later, placing three mugs on the table in front of the girls and sitting on an opposite chair.

It turned out that Hanbyeol knew her little brother too well and the situation was back under control in a matter of twenty minutes. Not to mention that the whole action made the sisters just a tad bit tired, which was exactly what Kyuhyun wished for.

“And the candies?” Jangmi yawned and took a sip of the chocolate with content smile on her face.

“What candies?”

“Uncle!”

They spent the remaining half an hour teasing each other, with Hanbyeol shaking her head haughtily and re-painting the nails that got ruined because of Jangmi’s scream earlier. Kyuhyun decided that he definitely liked the girls much more when they were sleepy and therefore not reminding him of Heechul so much. He shivered at the mere thought of his friend.

When both Jangmi and Hanbyeol began to yawn more than speak up, Kyuhyun looked at his watch. Damn, they managed to talk him into twenty more minutes out of bed without him even noticing it. Ah well, they were not so bad of a kids after all. Kyuhyun smiled and stood up. “Now it’s really time to sleep!”

“Eh, fine.” Jangmi mumbled, dragging her legs up the stairs, with Hanbyeol following closely behind her. “But you know, Kyuhyun oppa,” the younger girl, who earlier decided that Kyuhyun looks way too young to be called an uncle, spoke up when they were already comfortably tugged in bunk bed (Jangmi on the upper one – surprise surprise), ready to fall asleep any minute. “Appa always tells us a story to sleep. Will you tell us one too?”

Kyuhyun looked into the big pleading eyes and rubbed his hair thoughtfully. “A story?”

“Yes!” Hanbyeol’s eyes lit up as well.

The male considered the request. Does he even have any story to tell? Well, he does have one, but… Would he be able to finally say the words aloud after so many years? The story of his life… which he wasn’t positive if it was real in the first place.

“I’m not sure…” Two pairs of big awaiting eyes bored their way into his soul. Ah, screw it, he can always stop if he wants. And the girls will probably fall asleep too quickly to listen to it. What does he have to lose?

Kyuhyun smiled and made himself comfortable on the chair next to Hanbyeol’s desk, facing the beds. “Okay then, a goodnight story it is.” He stopped. Was he ready? Kyuhyun’s mind went back to his senior year in High School and a smile found its way onto his face as he remembered that weird evening. “The story begins on an ordinary Friday afternoon six years ago, when I opened the doors only to find a stranger behind them. A… beautiful stranger.”

“Was it uncle Donghae?” Hanbyeol supported her head with her elbow to look at Kyuhyun curiously.

“No,” Kyuhyun shook his head. “He said his name was Sungmin…”

More like an intro than an actual chapter, but... Hope you enjoyed it nonetheless :D

And and... Do I see almost 30 subscribers? And 2 upvotes?! Before I even posted anything? Wow, I'm so touched and thankful and grateful and... and I'll just shut up now. But know that I love you guiz. ;  ;

~puppysauruss ^-^v