It was the weekend, thus Kibum brought his family out to a newly opened shopping mall. Browsing through the toys shop, Alexander suddenly saw something he likes.

“Memm ja pirt!” Alexander squealed excitedly and pointed at a cash register toy.

Kevin smiled and squatted down. “Xander wants that?”

Alexander nodded and clapped his hands.

Kibum raised his eyebrow. “Why don’t we teach him a word. If he gets it right, he can get the toy?”

“OH! Great idea, honey! I don’t know, I thought he was too young to start learning, but if he can recognise something that he wants, well why not?” Kevin smiled. “That, is a keh-sheuuu reh-jees-terr.”

“No, baby. Teach him how to call us.” Kibum chuckled, squatting down beside Kevin.

“Right! Why didn’t I think of that?” Kevin sheepishly giggled. “Okay. Xander, I am mah-mee.”

Alexander looked back with curious eyes.

“Mah!” Kevin tried.

“MAHHHH!” Alexander laughed. “Mah!”

“Aww, so cute!” Kevin squealed, temporarily forgetting his mission.

“Meeeeee.” Kibum helped out, but Alexander ignored him. “I swear, this kid hates me or something.”

“Nonsense, why will adorable Alexander hate you?” Kevin frowned, whacking Kibum’s shoulder. He turned to Alexander with a smile. “Mahhhh-meeeeeeeeeeee.”

“MAHHH-MEE!” Alexander shouted and started clapping his hands.

“Mommy!” Kevin repeated in perfect English, looking expectantly at Alexander.

“Mommy!”

“Oh, he’s so smart!” Kevin grinned and kissed Alexander’s forehead lovingly. “Oh, his hair is growing, so cute!”

“Try daddy.” Kibum nudged Kevin, who looked back weirdly.

“You’re the daddy, you try, or else he’ll call me daddy.” Kevin said and stood up to let Kibum stand directly before Alexander.

“Okay, Xander. Dehh-deeeee.” Kibum tried.

“MOMMY!”

Kevin laughed, and ruffled Kibum’s hair. “Honey, try using your cutest voice. He’ll melt.”

“DEHHHHHHHH-DEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” Kibum raised his pitch, opened his eyes wide and pouted adorably.

“Deh-ee!” Alexander finally obeyed, but because he had no teeth, he couldn’t pronounce “dee” properly. That was enough, Kibum was finally convinced Alexander didn’t hate him.

“Okay, let’s give him that.”

-

Kibum ended up having a truckload of toys in tow when he returned home. He was really happy when Alexander suddenly didn’t want the cash register. He threw it on the floor, and Kevin helped put it back on the shelf. To his dismay, Alexander wanted something else, something like-

“You want Barbie? Barbie dolls?” Kevin asked as he walked back, standing next to the Barbie dolls and holding them up to Alexander.

Alexander gave a firm nod and grinned happily when Kevin let him hugged it.

“Oh, he’s perfect, honey. He’s perfect!” Kevin squealed and clinged onto Kibum, ranting away on how Alexander’s his perfect daughter.

Alexander wanted every version of Barbie doll, and Kibum tried to stop to no avail of the very elated mother.

“There’s no fun if Barbie can’t go on a holiday to Hawaii!” Kevin stood akimbo and made sure Kibum added it into their shopping cart. “Barbie has to be sporty, surfing is great!”

“I think I need to go get some rest or I’ll go crazy.” Kibum announced, falling onto then sofa and then into unconsciousness.

Kevin shook his head but allowed Kibum to sleep. He on the other hand, had fun taking out all the dolls, clothes, furniture, etc, out of their boxes for Alexander. Making sure there was nothing small Alexander could put into his mouth, he went on to make dinner.

Dinner time came soon and everything went as per normal (ignore that Kibum was grieving), and they sat together to watch Fairly Oddparents. As soon as the clock striked eight, Kevin and Kibum brought Alexander to his crib and watched him sleep.

-

Kibum’s head was groggy when he woke up to the loud cries of Alexander. Kevin was already standing by the time his brain could register what was happening.

“Go to bed, honey, I’ll pacify him, he probably just want some water.” Kevin said softly, still not energetic enough to make sure he was heard.

Kevin walked back to bed a minute later, stating that Alexander got what he wanted.

“I didn’t ask.” Kibum murmured, but Kevin already went to dreamland.

Kibum tried to go back to sleep as well, but the baby boy started wailing. He felt Kevin toss around in bed before rubbing his eyes.

“Go to bed, honey, I’ll pacify him, he probably just want to go toilet.” Kevin mumbled, and Kibum realised Kevin didn’t actually know he was awake. It seemed like he was speaking out of habit to reassure the husband that might or might not be awaken by their baby.

Kevin made sure he got into bed as lightly as possible, telling Kibum that Alexander got to the toilet. Kibum noticed his wife’s eyes were closed.

The third time Alexander cried pissed Kibum off. How did he manage to ignore these cries before?

“Argh.” Apparently, Kevin was thinking the same thing. “Honey, are you awake?”

“Mm.” Kibum yawned.

“Oh. You’re awake.” Kevin said, apparently surprised. “Could you...could you go pacify Xander?”

“Okay.” Kibum sighed and got out of bed. “What does he want?”

“I don’t know, maybe he just wants someone there so he wouldn’t be afraid. He’s still a baby afterall.” Kevin tried, yawning while doing so.

“All right, go sleep, baby.” Kibum nodded and dragged his feet as he walked out of the room.

It took longer than what he thought would be a minute. He ended up doing everything because he couldn’t understand Alexander’s extraterrestrial language. It turns out that Alexander was too cold in the air-conditioned room, thus he raised the temperature and went back to bed. Kevin was in deep slumber the time he got back, so he made sure to make as little movement as possible and got back to sleep.

Unfortunately...

That wasn’t the end.

-

With half-opened eyes, Kibum looked at Kevin who was bouncing away already.

“Aren’t you tired? After yesterday?” Kibum looked at Kevin in amazement.

“Mm, used to it already.” Kevin smiled his megawatts smile and changed into a comfortable dress before going out to make breakfast.

In utmost respect, Kibum bowed at Kevin’s backview.

After the first time Kibum went and pacify Alexander, the baby wailed about six times. Each time, Kibum has to figure out what was wrong before finally really making the baby comfortable. The last time made Kibum screamed into his pillow in annoyance, causing Kevin to wake up and whack the older man.

“Don’t be like that, Xander’s our child, we have to take care of him well. Our parents did this for us too, now it’s our turn to do this for Xander.” Kevin chided, causing Kibum to immediately become guilty and started moving towards Alexander’s room.

Kibum prays, even if it is really selfish of him to have such a wish, he hopes that he would sleep like a log every night. For now, he’ll just live with it and get ready for work.