“He hasn’t stopped crying since you left.” Luhan announced before his wife had even had the chance to close the door behind her.

Minseok did not look particularly pleased to hear such an announcement which Luhan supposed was understandable. Nor did she seem overly surprised which also wasn’t entirely unexpected. It was an announcement he’d made to her on more than one occasion after all, although usually he’d have waited for her to at least get her coat and shoes off first. She’d been gone all morning though and the six month old baby on his hip really had been wailing in his ear for the majority of the time she’d been gone so he thought telling her immediately was allowed.

“Of course he’s been unsettled, he’s teething and teething hurts.” She reminded him with a frown, closing the door with a click and slipping her shoes off. “Did you give him anything for it?” She asked, then she was on her knees so she could help their two year old who was having considerable trouble undoing he buttons of his coat.

“Of course I did.” Luhan told her, slightly offended by the lack of faith she had in him and his ability to use his common sense but again not exactly surprised. She'd always been such a natural when it came to parenting, he on the other hand had always had to work a little harder at it. “But he wouldn’t take any of it." He continued, trying not to dwell on it too much. "He kept throwing the teething ring on the floor and when I tried the teething gel he wouldn’t open his mouth. He clamped it shut every time I went near him.” Sangyeon was an incredibly stubborn baby. Minseok liked to tell people that it was a trait he’d inherited from his father and sadly that wasn’t something Luhan could argue with. His mother never failed to remind him of what a nightmare of a baby he’d been himself whenever they saw her.

It was with a clearly audible sigh that Minseok took the coat she’d been helping from their son and stood up, “Can you take your shoes off by yourself?” She asked the two year old who compared to his brother was a veritable angel by comparison. Sangkyu had been such an incredibly laid back baby that they’d been fooled into thinking that having another baby in the house would be easy. How wrong they’d been.

And in response Sangkyu nodded and plopped himself down on the floor so he could get to work on the Velcro straps of his shoes. He really was a good boy.

“Pass him here.” Minseok ordered distracting Luhan from his musings and without hesitation he stepped forwards and handed the still tearful baby in his arms over to his mother. He was about to tell her again about how much of a handful he’d been but before he could Minseok was cooing the words “Hi sweetheart” and pressing a kiss to the top of Sangyeon’s head as he sniffled and did his very best impression of a baby koala, taking a handful of her jumper in each hand as he clung to her tightly.

“I can’t believe him. I kept offering him hugs and he kept pushing me away.” Luhan couldn’t help but feel a little bitter about that, all that crying he’d been doing had broken his heart and all he’d wanted to do was comfort him but Sangyeon hadn’t been having any of it and now there he was snuggling into Minseok’s chest with a contented sigh. But then if he had the choice of snuggling into his own chest or snuggling into Minseok’s he’d go with Minseok’s too he supposed. It was a little more comfortable than his, she had a bit of an advantage when it came to hugability factor what with having s and all. It was kind of unfair when you thought about it that way.

“He doesn’t feel well, that’s why he wants me.” Minseok reasoned, rocking Sangyeon slightly and kissing his head for a second time. “Should we find you some teething gel and stop your mouth hurting?” she asked him gently and she started heading into the living room.

“He won’t take it.” Luhan warned her. He might be happy to see her right now but Luhan was sure that as soon as she tried to put the gel in his mouth he’d be back to acting like his stubborn self.

“We’ll see.” Minseok hummed at the same time as Sangkyu piped up with “Done!” and held his shoes up in the air.

“Good boy.” Luhan told him with a smile. “Put them on the shoe rack and we’ll go find something to play with in the living room.” He suggested. And by that he meant ‘we’ll go watch your mother try and get your brother to take some medicine and fail just like I did.’

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

Rather disappointingly Minseok did not fail, Sangyeon let her rub the teething gel onto his gums without once trying to clamp his jaw shut or once trying to bite her. It really wasn’t fair, the way she could get their kids to do what she wanted the first time she asked when they always took such great delight in ignoring whatever he said.

“They like you just as much as they like me.” Minseok told him. She’d obviously noticed the somewhat sullen look on his face and it hadn’t taken her long to decipher what was bothering him.

“I never said they didn’t.” Luhan protested automatically. It was kind of childish, sulking over not being the favourite parent, so childish that he thought he should try and deny that that was what he was doing at least once.

However Minseok as always could see right through him. “No but that’s what you’re thinking. And it’s silly. I’m the one they want when they don’t feel great, you’re the one they want when they want to play and have fun, that’s all it is. They prefer different people for different things.”

And as if to prove his mother right Sangkyu chose that moment to tug on his trouser leg.

“Look!” he exclaimed when he was satisfied he’d gotten his attention. “Look, Kyu did it!” he said and he held up the sheet of paper Luhan had given him to scribble on when he’d said he wanted to draw.

“It looks awesome.” Luhan observed and lifted Sangkyu up and settled him in his lap. “What did you draw?”

“A tractor.” Sangkyu told him pointing proudly for the scribble on the left. “And a shark.” He added indicating the scribble on the right.

Well it was a unique combination, Luhan had to give him that. “It’s pretty cool.” He told him with a nod. “Maybe I could take it to work and keep it on my desk.” He suggested.

Sangkyu immediately shook his head.

“Why not?” Luhan asked, confused.

“It’s Mummy’s” Sangkyu informed him. “Cause Mummy is pretty.” And with that he hopped down from Luhan’s knee and made his way over to his mother. And as exasperating as it could be, knowing he was always going to be second best it wasn’t as if Luhan could fault his son’s reasoning. Minseok was far too pretty for her own good, there was no doubt about it.