Title: We got him in China.
Rating: PG-13 (for ridiculous angst, ‘character death’)
Pairing(s): ShiHan, kid!Henry.
Summary: Hankyung’s very good friend passed away and left him something in his will.
Genre: ANGST like. A lot! (Possibly some fluff, but it’s really depressing fluff… but kid!Henry is still fluffy)

 

The day had started out like any other day; get Donghae up and ready for school. Make his lunch, get him dressed and clean and send him out the door. Send Siwon to work as well before heading out himself. After school, Donghae always went over to their neighbours where his best friend Hyukjae lived and Hankyung came home before Siwon to get started on dinner.

It was during that process that the phone rang; it was a phone call Hankyung had hoped he would have never had to take.

‘Andy Lau is dead; he and his wife were involved in a car accident in Toronto when their car hit a patch of black ice. In his will, he requested that their only son be left to you Han Geng.’

While he was on the phone, Siwon returned home and held him as he tried to control his crying, but it was hard. Andy had been one of Hankyung’s very good friends back in China before he’d moved to Korea himself and Andy to Canada. Knowing that Hankyung had married and adopted a son, Andy figured that the best place for his son Henry to go in case anything happened to him, was to his ‘Godfather’ Han Geng, his proper Chinese name.

Arrangements were made over the phone for when Hankyung and Siwon would go get Henry from his grandparents, who Hankyung promised to stay in touch with better now that they would have Henry, and as well with the lawyers. They said that they could make everything official in China after the funeral of Andy Lau and his wife.

However, Hankyung was still so very upset about it. Even after convincing their son that they’d just ‘bring him back a present’ from China, instead of what would effectively become Donghae’s brother, Hankyung was worried. Worried and upset. ‘What if they don’t get along? What if Henry doesn’t like us? What if…’ Question after question went through his mind—it made his head hurt. The entire flight over to China from Korea was spent awake, but on Siwon’s sleeping shoulder.

The first thing they did in China after booking into their hotel was meet with Andy’s parents. And Henry.

Henry.

He was the most absolutely adorable thing Hankyung, and Siwon, had ever seen since they adopted Donghae as a baby. He was short, with black hair that seemed a bit unruly, and cheeks so pudgy they made his single lidded eyes seem that much smaller. In his hand was a toy violin that was white and the other was hugged around his grandma’s leg. No smile could be seen on his face as he looked through his messy hair up at the two tall men.

Siwon was the first one to kneel down so that he was on the same eye level as Henry.

“Hello Henry, I’m Siwon.” But the sound of his voice, not to mention the foreign language, just brought Henry farther back behind his grandma’s leg hiding now.

“He doesn’t understand Korean, Shi Yuan.” His grandmother said in Mandarian, “Andy and his wife, may they rest in peace, taught him some Mandarin. We’ve found he talks in a combination of that and English.”

“Nainai…” Henry said then, tugging on her leg. “Whos that?” The question was accompanied by a point to Siwon who was still crouched down in front of Henry.

Grandma Lau gave Siwon a look and he took the cue in a second, speaking in the very simple English that he knew to the child.

“I am Shi Yuan.” Siwon decided to use the Chinese pronunciation of his name, hoping it would be easier for him to pronounce, “It is… Nice to meet you Henry.” Siwon held his hand out to the small child then, just waiting for a reaction.

Henry stared at the hand; he understood what Siwon had said most definitely, but still just stared at the hand. “Ssshiiii yuan...” Just his name was said for now, testing how it felt on his tongue.

Siwon was trying to so hard; Hankyung loved watching how his husband was interacting with the child. It was one of the reasons that he loved him so much.

Eventually Henry stopped being so shy and even got to the point where he was sitting in between both Hankyung and Siwon on the couch, showing them just how his toy worked, because it was very tricky for him to figure out the first time he had been given it so everyone else of course needed to be shown his favorite toy.

They shared dinner with Henry and his grandparents, trying to slowly introduce him to a few Korean words since everyone there knew that it would be to his benefit if he did since that was going to be his new home. 

His new home; that conversation had not gone well. It was the last thing that Hankyung and Siwon, as well as Henry’s grandparents, decided to bring up that night before ShiHan was supposed to leave to go back to their hotel.

“Hanry.” Hankyung said, his accent affecting how he said the boy’s name, “Shi Yuan and I have something to tell you.”

Looking up from the spot that Henry had claimed on Hankyung’s lap, once more showing him how that toy violin worked, he paused and just blinked.

Taking a careful breath, Hankyung began, “Well, Hanry. Do you like Shi Yuan and I?.” The question got him a nod, “Good, good… I’m glad...” Ugh this was hard. Hankyung looked over to Siwon for help.

“I think was Geng-ge is trying to say Henry… is.” Siwon started, reaching over to take Hankyung’s hand before saying the big statement, “How would you like to come home with Geng and I?”

Henry looked between the two adults, blinking for now as he tried to comprehend everything that had been said. And then he frowned.

“I wanna go home.” Henry said, plain and simple, touching the bow to the violin, playing it’s song during the silence that followed his statement.

“Hanry…” Hankyung bit down on his lip, squeezing Siwon’s hand tightly, “You… You can’t go home.” It was a hard thing to say, especially with the way tears seemed to slide down Henry’s soft, adorable cheeks without warning.

“I wanna go home.” The phrase was repeated, his chin quivering now and once more Hankyung told Henry in Mandarin that he couldn’t.

Finally Henry just wiggled his way off of the couch, yelling ‘NO.’ in English loudly, running to the room he had been staying in there at his ‘Nainai’s’ house.

“That didn’t go well.” Siwon said to Hankyung once Henry was gone, rising up from the couch.

“No, it did not…” Hankyung got up as well, not letting his hand leave Siwon’s, “Hopefully tomorrow will go better…”

And it did. Siwon, Hankyung and Henry spent the entire day together in an attempt to build something resembling a ‘family bond’ with the 4 year-old, considering they were going to be taking him to Korea in just a few days.

During the middle of the day, Siwon tried to ask Henry again if he would want to come home with him and Hankyung, but Henry just ignored the question, bringing sighs from both adults.

At the actual wake, Henry stood beside his Nainai until he got tired of being around all of those people. He went over to Hankyung then of his own accord, tugging at his pant leg before rising up both of his arms. The single English word, “Up.” came out and Hankyung didn’t think twice about picking him up. He rubbed the child’s back, who hugged his arms around Hankyung’s neck before laying his head onto Hankyung’s shoulder.

“Geng.” Henry mumbled quietly, eyes focused on a picture of his parents, “Mama and Baba. They’re dead.” he said very simply. Siwon, who had been standing behind Hankyung with his head resting on Geng’s other shoulder, looked up to the young boy then, eyes wide. That statement was a shock, to both of them, and they stared at the child for a second before Hankyung said, “Yes, Hanry, they are... But they will always live on in our hearts. We will never forget them.” But some of those words Henry didn’t understand, evident by the way his brow furrowed, still staring at the picture.

“Henry,” said Siwon as he stepped to the side of Hankyung so he could get Henry’s attention better, “They’re in here.” And he pointed to Henry’s chest, “In heart. Uh, in your heart.” He corrected himself, “Never forget them. Okay?”

Between the two of them, they were able to communicate with Henry, because even if he was crying once more, head in Hankyung’s chest, he was nodding. Henry had understood.
 

That night, after the wake, Hankyung and Siwon had taken Henry out to eat, just the three of them once more. Grandma Lau, though sad, approved still of this—it was extra hard for her since she had not only lost her son, but was losing a grandchild as well (no matter how much Hankyung assured her that that wasn’t the case).

“So, Hanry.” Hankyung said as he watched Henry devouring his spaghetti, getting more of the sauce on those cheeks than in his mouth. “Have you thought about what Shi Yuan and I asked you yesterday?.”

Mid bite, Henry stopped and stared at Hankyung before nomming his bite. Hankyung sighed, looking over to Siwon who just shrugged. He didn’t know what to do about this either…

But then Henry spoke up.

“Where is your home?” He picked a piece of meat off of his fork and stuffed it into his mouth, looking between ShiHan in front of him.  Both adults hadn’t been expecting that reaction.

“Korea.” Siwon replied, gauging Henry’s reaction.

“Where’s that?” came Henry’s follow up question.

“Across the sea. Far, but… not that far.” 

Henry nodded a few times then, reaching out for his napkin, wiping off his hand that he’d got covered with sauce in his attempt to find the meat in his spaghetti. Both Siwon and Hankyung laughed softly before Siwon moved over to help Henry, also cleaning up his face in the process.

“Hanry…” It was worth a shot to ask again now, after that conversation. “Do you want to come home with Shi Yuan and I?” Siwon stopped his wiping, which had Henry whining softly, to see what Henry would say.

Once more, Henry just looked at both adults and then down to his lap. The child was finally actually thinking about what it was that they had said to him, instead of just being stubborn and not wanting to listen at all. After what seemed like eternity for them, Henry nodded and said, “Okay.”
 

There was one thing that was harder than getting Henry to agree to go to Korea with them, and that was sitting through the funeral service for Henry’s parents.

They had already been cremated in Canada and their remains shipped to China since the accident had just been that bad. Their urns were placed on the altar with a picture of them with Henry behind it. Flowers were everywhere, even including a bouquet that Kangin and Leeteuk, sent much to Hankyung and Siwon’s surprise.

The service was beautiful and Henry was a very good boy, staying quiet even as he was crying so hard he couldn’t breathe at some points. Hankyung and Siwon both just consoled him as best as they could, taking turns holding him in their lap.

It was during the commencement at their memorial that Henry whispered to Hankyung, “Can Mama and Baba come to Korea with us?” He could tell that Henry was choking on his tears as he asked that, unable to watch as the urns were placed inside the monument.

And the question; it just broke Hankyung’s heart. How could he possibly say no to such a sweet child, who was so young and so innocent and so very much so just wanted his parents still.

Since he was on the verge of tears once more himself, trying to stay strong for Henry’s sake, he turned to Siwon and told him what Henry had asked in soft Korean. A look was given to Hankyung after he heard the question then Siwon moved behind his husband, tilting his head so that he could see Henry.

“Henry.” He said softly, reaching a hand out to gently pet that messy black hair out of his eyes. Henry moved his eyes up to look at Siwon before adjusting his head, chin on Geng’s shoulder. “I am sorry, Henry.” He started, “But they ca-… can’t go with us.” Way to be the bad guy, Siwon. But someone had to be, and Hankyung wouldn’t have been able to say it without crying.

“Why not!” Henry asked, louder than he had been during the services. He was mad! How dare Siwon say no to that—he wanted his parents!

“Because,” Siwon began, taking this slowly, “They’re going to. Much better place. To Heaven.”

“Then I wanna go there!” Henry said, angry still, cheeks red from how much he had been crying.

“… Henry.” It was so sad to see Henry like this. “No... You ca—ca. Can’t go there.”

“But.” Henry let out a loud cry before finishing his statement, “I miss them...” and then he was sobbing into Hankyung’s shoulder again. The trio had to excuse themselves from the rest of the service, hoping to calm down Henry which only happened after he fell asleep, still in Hankyung’s arms.

“This isn’t going to be easy, Geng-ge.” Siwon said, gently brushing Henry’s hair from his sleeping face, using a wet napkin to clean up that face.

“No… but raising children never is. And Hanry is ours now.” There was a weak smile on Hankyung’s face as he said that, his thumb gently rubbing Henry’s back to keep him calm as he slept.

“Yeah… ours.” Siwon moved his arm around Hankyung and gave him a kiss on the forehead, followed by one on the lips. The pair muttered quiet ‘I love you’s to one another, not wanting to wake up Henry yet.

Over the next two days, Hankyung and Siwon finalized the adoption papers for Henry and said their goodbye’s to Grandma Lau. Getting him onto the plane wasn’t hard, since he had a picture of his parents in his passport neck-pouch and his toy violin in his backpack. And in his hands were ShiHan’s hands, sandwiched between them. Henry knew, even though he’d just met them three days ago, that he was going to be okay with these two. Plus they told him in Korea he was going to get a brother! Henry had always wanted a brother…

A/N: OTL… I didn’t even realize it when I picked Henry’s age that it was the ‘perfect age’ since that’s when, developmentally, children start to talk about and realize just what death is… What a better way to learn than having your parents die? FML But it ended happy, right? Even if writing it made me cry a lot. x_x

Also, that stupid system I made for English/Mandarin, well it looks cool, is a to type out so much. Hopefully no other fics will have nearly as much of it.