Jaejoong hummed happily as he drew a ‘Y’ with blue icing.

“Umma~” a faint voice is heard somewhere in the large house but Jaejoong’s brain doesn’t register it as he’s busy slicing the strawberries thinly.

“Uuumm-maaah!” Jaejoong looks up wondering if he heard something then with a shrug of his shoulders, proceeds to make a flower out of the strawberries.

“HUWAAAAH~!” okay, he heard that now. Jaejoong glances at the strawberry flower he made on the corner of the cake. He wanted it bigger but this will do.

“Minnie?” Jaejoong simply utters and a blur of white runs into the spacious kitchen. “WAAAH~ UMMAAA~!” Jaejoong’s son who turned three today cries as his mother picks him up.

Jaejoong notices Changmin’s still in his fluffy white pyjamas though it’s almost 9 in the morning. He had sent his husband to wake and bathe their son an hour ago. he wonders what happened.

“Minnie, what happened? Where’s your Appa?” at the reminder of his father, Changmin’s waling got louder.

“WAAAAH~ APPAAA~! WAAAH~” Changmin bawled with little fists rubbing tears of his eyes.

It’s not even the naughty and enterprising little one’s crocodile tears which he uses to get out of trouble, most especially with Yunho having a weakness for tears. It’s a genuine I’m-sad-and-heartbroken-and-need-comfort-food type of crying. And his reaction at the mention of his father made Jaejoong wonder if something has happened to Yunho.

More like Yunho is the cause of this, Jaejoong’s subconscious said and Jaejoong shushed his snarky subconscious.

“Don’t cry baby. Look here…” Jaejoong swayed Changmin in his arms and fetched the remaining sliced strawberries. “You're favourite~ ichigo…” Jaejoong held them in front of Changmin’s face.

The little boy hiccupped as he stared at the pinkish slices. Because he’s never seen sliced strawberries before, he doesn’t get it till the sweet and sour fruity smell reaches his nose. Small fingers peek from the oversized shirt and take a slice. Jaejoong loves Yunho’s hands and loves it even more that Changmin has his daddy’s hands. But when the fingers disappear behind the small pair of lips that are neither like Yunho’s or Jaejoong’s, Jaejoong cringed. All four fingers in the mouth and pink juice staining the white shirt collar. These pyjamas are new and already earned a trip to the drycleaners.

With his wailing now reduced to short hiccups, Jaejoong finally asked, “why are you crying baby?” on your birthday too, but Jaejoong didn’t say that. The boy is probably still sleepy to realise it’s his birthday today. He doesn’t even know the concept of dates yet and his parents have to tell him if there’s any special day. If he realised his special day has been ruined, Changmin will cry till his throat hurts.

“Appa bad!” I told you Yunho did something, Jaejoong’s subconscious piped up and got silenced with a pipe swung by a Hello Kitty in Jaejoong’s head.

“No worries baby. Umma will take care of Appa.” Jaejoong gave his son a good morning kiss making Changmin smile, whether from the kiss or that his Appa will get it can’t be said. But Jaejoong prefers this over crying, “that’s my smiley Bambi. Happy Birthday my babyboo.” Jaejoong peppered Changmin’s face with more kisses and elicited happy squeals from the boy. “Now, let’s go find your Appa.”

“Go-go!” Changmin points randomly as if he’s a battle-ready king on a horse.

Jaejoong heads up the stairs of their huge house with care. When he asked Yunho for a modern architectural house, he should’ve mentioned stairs with a railing. It’s fine most times but not when he’s carrying a heavy three year old.

Changmin’s room is the first and Jaejoong peeks in. he frowns at the open gifts on the floor. His father-in-law is not in the pink of health since a hip fracture and can’t travel from Gwangju to Seoul. So Yunho’s parents had sent a horde of presents which arrived last night with Yunho’s sister.

Jaejoong was surprised that their son had displayed remarkable obedience when told the gifts won’t be opened until after the birthday party. and he doesn’t believe that Changmin succumbed to impatience and opened those presents.

No. with all the neatly unwrapped packages, the evidence only points to one direction.

“Umma! Umma! Appa there. Took Minnie teddy.” Changmin bounces impatiently in Jaejoong’s arms pointing in the directions of the master bedroom.

Jaejoong narrowed his eyes at the double white doors at the end of the hallway. He headed there with large strides but stopped just outside the door, taking a peek inside through the crack of the door, he rolled his eyes. Even Changmin facepalmed.

“And he just says no! can you believe that! I’ve been working on this for a month and he says no.” Yunho stares at the Bambi, the brown teddy bear, the large stuffed husky and the Olaf doll as if he got a very rapt audience. “that stupid geezer… all because I wouldn’t entertain his daughter. Would I have married my Boo if I liked girls? And not that these people don’t know I’m married and we have Minnie. They just throw their daughters at me like it will do any good. Stupid geezers! Bambi, haven’t you told these guys about Bae Seulgi showing up at our old home in lingerie and Boo opened the door?” Yunho pokes the Bambi, which is almost like a family member. Bambi is Changmin’s first toy from Yunho, though Changmin is the owner in name while Yunho is the owner by fame.

Jaejoong was scowling though and he was almost squeezing Changmin in displeasure. He clearly remembers the y daughter of the Baes with whom Yunho was doing business. After a business soiree in their old house, a very pregnant and very moody Jaejoong saw the fashion heiress in a black lacy number from her parents’ fashion house that night, Jung corp ceased all business with the Baes the next morning, and Yunho got Jaejoong a new house uncontaminated with ‘ty germs’.

“I don’t need those Hwangs. I got rid  of them. you know how guys?” Yeah how? Jaejoong asks internally as he steps closer to listen better. “I gave the deal to their rivals. I checked and the Choi heiress is older and married with three kids. so no danger there. Now I’m going to build my new hotel right in front of those Hwangs’ hotel and it’s going to be ten times better than theirs. That’s what these people get for coming in between me and Boo.” Yunho crossed his arms over his puffed up chest w