heyy everyone. before I proceed with the chapter I just wanted to say a couple things:

1. First, as I wrote this chapter, I realized that the end is coming soon! FINALLY!! :DD after a whole year of writing this fic, it's finally coming to a close! i dont quite know WHEN, but I estimate in no more than five chapters. so be prepared for that

2. i know it was rash of me to suddenly switch the story to third person omnipotent but i felt that it was much easier to write this way rather than constantly switch points of view, and the story flows much better imo in third person so i made that change now. i apologize for not doing it sooner. 

3. I just wanted to stay that I'm really sorry I've been slacking and my writing skill has gotten shabby lately. I'd HATE to blame my depression and anxiety for it, but honestly because of it, i've lost most if not all of my motivation to write, both this fic AND one shots. senior year is coming up and i fear that i'll have zero time and i'll be just as anxious and stressed and depressed as I was with my junior year. again, i dont WANT to blame my anxiety because i dont want to appear lazy, but i guess i really have become lazy. i can't promise anything anymore, and i dont know when this story will finally be over and closed (i mean i KNOW ill onlyneed a few chapters but the question is WHEN do i write them?). 

4. I really want to thank you all for reading this long fic, which would probably be better if i had broken up the many plotlines into individual stories instead of one big one. thank you to those who read and keep up with every update, and to those who have read my other fics. thank you so much. honestly, without u guys, i would not be writing any of these fics

and speaking of other fics

5. i urge you all to read some of my other fics, especially the one shots. i cannot guarantee that you'll love them, but honestly, I am so proud of them. i think that my latest ones especially (Surprise!, A Lovin Spoonful, and Lucky One which I coauthored) are some of my better works. you can find them all on my profile under "stories", and it would mean a lot to me if you could give me feedback on them.

so once again, i'm sorry i've been slacking with these updates. just know that this story DOES have an ending planned, and i hope u know that your love means so much to me. but i would like to ask ONE thing from you: would you be interested in a chapter for Minkey or just end the story? i realized there isnt much in the whole story and idk if u guys are up for it. let me know and i will plan it accordingly, or disregard it altogether.and with that, i hope u guys like this update :)  

Minho cautiously set up the dining table, making sure each spot was clear of any dust or dirt. He double checked the rooms to affirm that they were spit-spot-spic and span. Yuri made sure to restore all of their couple photos to their previous places. They hurriedly dressed Yoogeun and Sooyoung for their 'date' with Key and Taemin, but to prevent Key from being exposed, they had to prep their kids beforehand.

Yuri held Yoogeun in her arms while Minho held Sooyoung. The two parents took deep breaths and nodded to each other.

Yuri caressed Yoogeun on her lap as she sat on the couch. "Yoogeun-ie, Sooyoung-ah, before you go off with Key and Taemin-ahjussi, Appa and I have something to tell you."

"What is it, Umma?"

Minho sat beside Yuri with Sooyoung in his arms and answered, "Grandpa, Grandma, and Grampa are coming over."

"Oh really?! Cool!"

"Are we gonna see them?" Sooyoung perked up with sparkling eyes.

"After your date with Taemin and Key Ahjussi."

"Where are we going?" Yoogeun jumped.

"It's a surprise." And it truly was, because Taemin and Key wouldn't tell them anything about where they were going. Key claimed that he didn't know. Maybe because Taemin hadn't told him, or perhaps because he was in on the surprise.

"I wanna know now! What's the surprise!?"

Yuri chuckled. "Sweetie, you won't know until the ahjussi's take you there. Speaking of ahjussi..." She eyed Minho, who hesitantly looked down into his daughter's glittering eyes.

He sighed deeply before proceeding to tell her and Yoogeun, "We need you to do us a favor. When you meet your grandparents tonight..." He struggled to force the words out of his mouth. His children's eyes staring up at him in curiosity only made the task harder. "Don't mention Key ahjussi to them."

Yoogeun raised his small eyebrows. "What do you mean, appa?"

"When you come home, say that you were out with Taemin, ahjussi. Don't mention that you were with Key ahjussi."

"Why? Do they not like Key ahjussi?"

The innocent question stunned both parents, and seeing their children think of the idea, no matter how true it was, broke their hearts.

Minho took a deep breath. "Well you see-"

"It's a surprise!" Yuri blurted. Everyone's heads turned to face her. "Your grandparents, especially Grampa," she winked at Minho to emphasize their mutual dislike for his father. "don't know that Key ahjussi is in Seoul. He's gonna surprise them at the end of the night, but until that happens, we want you to keep quiet about him. Do you understand now?"

Nodding in understanding, Yoogeun and Sooyoung chimed, "Neh umma!"

Minho stared blankly at her, wanting to award that brilliant, quick-witted mind of hers with a million dollars. As he marveled, the doorbell rang, and all four of them got up to answer it. As Minho opened the door, Yoogeun ran straight into Taemin's open arms. Taemin picked the little sprite up with a warm smile, while Key shyly stood behind him.

"Ya Taemin ahjussi~ Appa and Umma say we're going out tonight! Where are we going?"

"Awww you're gonna love it. Believe me, once we get there, you're gonna have the biggest smile ever, bigger than any boy in town."

We all chuckled at Yoogeun's growing smile.

"You'd better not feed them too much sugar, ok?" Yuri cautioned.

Key piped in from behind Taemin. "Don't worry. With me around, these kids will be begging for fruits and vegetables."

The adults burst into laughs while the kids scowled at the thought of eating healthy.

"Well, our folks will be here anytime now, so it's time to head out." Minho picked up Sooyoung in his arms and pecked the top of her head before handing her off to Key. Both mother and father kissed Yoogeun goodbye before sending them off. While Taemin headed to the car, Minho held Key back for an extra second. As Key looked up at him with curious eyes, Minho fondly caressed the former's cheek with his thumb, mentally sending good vibes, as if to assure him that everything would be fine that night. Sooyoung, who innocently watched from Key's hold, petted her father's large hand, tickling it with her itty-bitty fingers. The sight warmed the hearts of the three adults, and Key bowed slightly to his boyfriend and noona before heading to the car.

Earlier, Taemin had privately revealed to Key that they were going to Seoul Land, knowing that the kids would enjoy it. The adults in the car avoided eye contact and conversation altogether on the way to the park. They only spoke to each other when their conversation with Yoogeun and Sooyoung prompted it. Key, albeit still unsure about how to act toward Taemin, decided that sulking would be a waste of energy and time. In spite of his history with Taemin, he figured he should at least pretend to have fun so he wouldn't bring the mood down.

Luckily for Key, he did not have to fake much. In fact, he found himself laughing and smiling more than groaning and sulking. Since he hated heights, he stayed back with Sooyoung, who was too young to go on any rides, while Taemin and Yoogeun went on the roller coasters.

"Taemin-ah, he's too young for this!"

"But Key ahjussi~ I'm old enough now!"

"You're only seven!"

"I'm eight, ahjussi. I've been wanting to come here since I was four!" He pouted.

"But what about Sooyoung?"

"Relax, Key," Taemin chimed. "That's why you're here. You can keep her company while Yoogeun and I go on the rides."

"Pleeeeaaaasssseee Ahjussi~?" Yoogeun pleaded with enlarged, watery eyes. Key rolled his eyes and sighed. With three pairs of eyes on him, there was no way he could say no to Yoogeun.

"Alright, you can go. But don't go on too many of them. Sooyoung's gonna feel left out. And you don't want to get sick.

"Come on, ahjussi! The line's getting longer!" Ignoring Key's warning, Yoogeun grabbed Taemin's hand and made a beeline for the queue for the rollercoaster. Key rolled his eyes and comforted Sooyoung, who pouted because she was too young to go on the rides.

Meanwhile at the Choi household, Yuri and Minho anxiously awaited the arrival of their parents. They paced around in silence until the doorbell rang, sounding the commencement of their imminent doom. They reluctantly answered the door and greeted their parents. They shared individual hugs with each parent, but the one they each shared with Mr. Choi especially boiled their blood. Minho and Yuri eyed each other as they repressed their common hatred and hugged his father.

"It's lovely to see you both again," Ms. Kwon, Yuri's mother, sang. "Where are the children?"

"They're over at their friend's place now. They won't be home for another few hours." Yuri said as we walked to the dining room.

"What? So late in the day?" Mr. Kwon inquired.

"Don't worry, abeunim," Minho assured. "You'll be able to see them before you leave tonight."

The party arranged themselves at the table. Mr. Choi sat at the head, with Minho to his right side and Mr. Kwon to his left. Yuri and her mother sat beside their respective husbands. As they ate dinner, Minho and Yuri mostly kept quiet, while their parents talked about their business partnership. All throughout, Minho and Yuri shared glances and eye rolls everytime they heard their parents' phony camaraderie. Their mood certainly did not improve when their parents started discussing current events.

"Minho's abeoji, did you hear about director Kim Jho Kwang Soo? He's trying to get the courts to allow him to marry a man!" Ms. Kwon whined, referring to Kim Jho Kwang Soo, a film director who had unofficially 'married' his longtime same- partner and submitted their marriage registration. The courts were in the midst of discussing the validity of the marriage.

"Is he now?" Mr. Choi wondered out loud, feigning shock, as news this revolutionary would be made well-known among the public.

Mr. Kwon scoffed. "Can you believe this man? Thinking that he can do something so radical and utterly inhumane!"

"And this man thinks he has a chance at changing our laws and redefining the institution of marriage!"

Yuri looked over at Minho, who held back a curse, and was ultimately forced to gulp and continue eating. She gawked at his attempts to remain submissive and refused to comply.

"Umma, if this goes through, it's not going to change your marriage. It's just gonna allow them to marry. What happens to them doesn't affect you."

"Yah! What are you implying, young lady!?"

"Umma, appa, I'm just saying times are changing. Same- couples are not hurting anyone; if anything, we're the ones hurting them by disapproving of them."

"What nonsense are you saying to me?!"

"It doesn't affect any of us at all, so why fuss over it?"

"So you're saying that if one of your kids told you they were homoual, you wouldn't disapprove?"

Minho silently observed the exchange between Yuri and her parents and internally rooted for Yuri. Althought he wished that she would not have been so outspoken to their parents, he was proud of her for standing up for her beliefs and for him and Key, especially since he did not ask her to.

Yuri calmed her tone and relayed her first lie of the night, "Well, I may not understand or accept them," and followed with truth. "but I certainly won't antagonize them or kick them out of the house."

Mr. Kwon scoffed. "I can't believe what's coming out of my own daughter's mouth."
Mr. Choi curiously looked over at his quiet son.

"Minho-ssi, you wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you?"

Minho looked up from his food to see four pairs of eyes on him. Albeit annoyed that his father had made him the subject of conversation, he simply answered, "No, I wouldn't, father. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I merely thought that you would have known something, given that he was a film director-"

"You misunderstand. He works in the film industry. I work solely with television dramas." Yuri released a mute sigh of relief, thankful that neither she nor Minho had picked up a knife and charged at the man.

"Oh, I see I've misjudged. I guess that I... wrongly assumed... and jumped to conclusions..."

The two Chois stared at each other, now oblivious to the other three pairs of eyes that were set on them, watching their every move, awaiting chaos, anticipating one of them to crack under such tension. Mr. and Ms. Kwon watched in awe and confusion, while Yuri watched her husband, hoping that he would not lose to this tyrant of a father. Even after Key was sent away, Mr. Choi never forgot about Minho's betrayal, and used what few opportunities he had to make sure Minho didn't either.

Minho, without moving, broke the silence. "Keep eating the soup before it gets cold. Yuri-ssi put in so much effort to make all of you an excellent dinner, and I'd hate to see it go to waste." Seemingly defeated, and realizing that he had aroused some attention from his daughter-in-law and her parents, Mr. Choi continued eating without losing sight of Minho. Likewise, the rest of the family returned to their meal, but Mr. Choi refused to let Minho out of his mind.

"Where's your ring?"

Minho nearly dropped his soup spoon when he heard the question. "Come again?"

Mr. Choi placed his elbows on the table and piled his hands on top of each other. "You're not wearing your wedding ring."

Now alarmed, the other three sets of eyes in the room flew to Minho's left hand. Minho slowly lifted his hand to chin-level without altering his expression. Yuri looked at him, stunned that he could maintain such a stern composure.

"Mwoya!? Minho-ya, why aren't you wearing your ring!"

"Nappeun saekki-ya! What are you doing to our marriage!?"

"Umma! Appa!" Yuri countered. "Seriously, you guys are being too much. We spent so much of our energy cooking you this meal and you're harassing your son."

"Yuri-ssi," Minho grasped her shoulder to calm her down. "Keep eating. Don't embarass yourself in front of your parents." He said this with a heavy heart, because he hated talking to his wife in such a condescending way.

"Why are you talking like that? Umma, appa, the ring's fine. He left it upstairs when he was helping me cook. You'd be surprised at how quickly it heats up near the stove."

"Yah! What is this tone you are using with your mother!?"

"Umma!"

"Yah, yah, yah!" Minho exclaimed, leaning forward and spreading his arms out to quiet everyone. "Everyone just stop! You all came here for a family dinner, not to condescend us. I'd appreciate it if you all either talk kindly to us or just leave, because I'm not allowing any fights in my household." No one responded. They all just stared at him, too speechless to grasp the situation. He took a minute to recompose himself before standing up. "I'm going to go upstairs and get my ring. For the rest of the time that you're here, I don't want any backtalking or arguing, from any of you." His eyes circled the whole group at the table, and he sternly walked upstairs to retrieve his ring wedding ring, which he kept on the side of the bed. He sighed, exhausted from dealing with his father and in-laws, and reluctant to proceed to dessert.

For a while after Minho returned, the table maintained pin-drop silence and avoided eye contact. Discourse slowly recovered after Ms. Kwon brought up news topics that were deemed not controversial, such as an artist's concert or whatnot. Much to Minho and Yuri's satisfaction (as well as Mr. Choi's chagrin), Mr. and Ms. Kwon ultimatley decided that they would not be staying over for the night.

"Umma, are you sure you don't want to stay?" Yuri pretended to whine, although she was internally cheering.

"No, no, sweetie. We'll stay over some other time." She gave her daughter a quick hug.

"It's a shame that you have to leave so soon." Minho pouted as he hugged his father-in-law.

"Well if we must stay-"

"No no, no no. You have your work to take care of, so you must go. Perhaps you can stay over another time." Minho replied as he subtly pushed his in-laws toward the door.

Mr. Choi sighed. "Well, I may as well go. I'm sure that the kids will be fine with seeing me another time."

Yuri rolled her eyes. All throughout dinner, he brought up his excitement over meeting his grandchildren, yet could not pinpoint their names. And even after Minho said them, he had still forgotten.

"Yes, abeonim. Perhaps next time." She supressed her reluctance and reached over for a hug.

"Well, take care of yourselves. Minho-ssi, Yuri, my daughter," Mr. Kwon lowered his head. "I'll see you around."

After one last familial peck, their parents were out the door, but not without a classic sinister stare from Mr. Choi himself. At the very second the front door closed, Yuri exhaled audibly and leaned her back against it. Minho too relaxed and sighed in relief.

"You did good." He huffed.

"Yea. You too." They both raised their hands and high-fived each other before collapsing into a hug.

"You didn't have to say all that stuff. You know, regarding that guys marriage."

Yuri sighed. "I kinda wanted to. I hate being talked down to like that. I wanted mom to know that I had a voice, too." She noticed that Minho tightened his hold of her. She pulled back a bit to get a view of his face. "What is it?"

He sighed in fatigue. "I'm tired. Tired of Dad, and tired from the day."

"Aigoo~ you poor baby. At least we can sleep in our own beds tonight."

Minho lifted his head. "Yea, you're right."

"And they didn't see Yoogeunnie and Sooyoung tonight."

"You mean Soojeon and Hyeyeon?" His comeback, which referred to Mr. Choi's failed attempts to remember the names of his grandchildren, caused both of them to burst into laughs.

"Oh, that reminds me. We can tell them to come back now." Her eyes lit up and she broke away from Minho's arms and searched for her phone to contact Taemin and Key.

Back at Seoul Land, the party sat at a picnic table and enjoyed one large serving of funnel cake. Key sat with Yoogeun on one side of the table while Taemin and Sooyoung sat on the other. The kids especially relished in the sugary deliciousness of the food. Although Key enjoyed seeing smiles on the kids' faces, he couldn't help but worry about what they were eating.

"First you two go on nearly every ride available, and now we're eating like animals." Key whined.

Taemin smiled as he fed Sooyoung a piece of the funnel cake. "You can sue the park for not serving healthy foods if you want."

Key glared at him and forced down another bite. "I don't think Minho and Yuri are gonna be happy about this."

"Sounds like you're being a bit overprotective."

"Key Ahjussi, if you don't want any we can finish it for you." Sooyoung chimed, eyes widening with every delicious bite.

"Not on my watch." Key warned, biting into another piece, determined not to give in to the wants of these adorable angels. He slouched as he chewed, the lingering taste of the ultra-sugary high-fat park favorite sitting on his taste buds. "I feel like I've just gained five pounds."

"Well at least save some for the rest of us, then. You've already eaten half the cake!" Taemin whined. Key had to do a double-take to realize that Taemin was not joking.

"Did I really!?" Key leaned back in shock, eyes wide and mouth agape. "What's wrong with me?"

"You love the cake and won't share." Yoogeun crossed his arms and pouted.

"Or maybe you're tired of your diet. Minho told me you're trying to eat healthier." Taemin remarked in a matter-of-fact tone. "Believe me, I've seen it before. My wife tried a vegan diet for a while but then gave up because she missed having her burritos every week."

Key chuckled but then stopped in realization. "You have a wife?" Taemin paused, and then nodded shyly. His small smile vanished, and Key raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Key-Taem ahjussi! Can we play some of the games?" Sooyoung asked innocently. "I want a teddy bear!"

"I want more Power Rangers!"

Both men giggled at the two angels and made haste to not waste the treat. Their conversation was put on pause as they browsed some of the booths. They also competed in various games to win all kinds of toys and prizes for their bundles of joy. They squirted water guns at moving targets, competed with dart boards, failed miserably at the high striker, and successfully popped all the balloons with darts and won a stuffed bear, a stuffed bunny, a heart-eye emoji pillow, a baseball cap, and a stuffed Power Ranger for Yoogeun and Sooyoung.

After winning all those toys and going on a few more rides, the party of four settled on a bench near the food booths. The little angels had fallen asleep. Sooyoung settled in Key's arms and Yoogeun on Taemin's lap. Taemin Yoogeun's hair, and caught sight of Key's smile and curious eyes as he looked from one cherub to the other.
Key caressed Sooyoung's tiny, all-too-precious head against his chest and marveled at how peaceful and angelic she looked. After a long period of blissful silence, Key noticed that Taemin was looking at him, so he lifted his head.

"What?" Key asked, raising his eyebrow.

Realizing that he had been caught blatantly staring at Key, Taemin stammered, "Oh, nothing. Y-You seem to really love the kids. You look like you've never been around kids."

Key smiled and looked at Sooyoung again. "I don't have my own, but I love kids. They're boisterous and innocent and cheerful. I've babysat every now and then for my coworkers."

"Oh, I see..." Taemin turned away from Key and looked down at Yoogeun, who was fast asleep on his chest. Key looked on in silence.

"How long have you been married, Taemin?"

Still avoiding eye contact, he mumbled, "Almost three years."

Key scanned his hands. "Where's your ring?"

His head snapped up. "My ring..." He looked at his left hand, then immediately over at his right hand, and panicked. He searched through every pocket in his outfit until he felt it in his inside jacket pocket. He sat back, sighed in relief, and pulled the silver diamond ring out and slid it onto his left ring finger. "Here it is... I took it off when I started eating all those snacks."

Key could not help but laugh at Taemin's ineptness, yet he made attempts to suppress it. "Do you always lose it? It looks like you do."

"It's not that... Okay, I may have a tendency to misplace it."

Key giggled. "Aish I forgot how clumsy you were. You and your magic hand."

Taemin finally looked back at Key and smiled sheepishly. "You remember, huh?"

"How could I not? You kept spilling your coffee at work."

Taemin chuckled bashfully. "Yea, and I still do that." They both chuckled at the memories, then something caught Taemin's attention. "What's that chain around your neck?"

For a moment, Key remained silent. He hesitantly looked down at his shirt, then shyly reached under his collar to pull it out. Taemin turned his body so he was facing Key and focused on the ring that was attached to the chain.

"May I see?" Key let him hold the ring and circle his finger around the rim. "It's all dinged up and nicked. How long have you had it?"

"...A while."

"When did Minho give this to you?" Key widened his eyes. "Come on, I know Minho has the other half. He wore it all this time and I figured he'd want to give this half to you. So long long? Two months? Five months? It's been almost a year since you and he-"

"Ten years ago." Key muttered. As Taemin's mind processed the words, his demeanor changed from curious bumblebee to stunned wrongdoer.

"Ten years... that was before you..."

Key nodded to confirm. "Yea. Before I left."

Guilt began to fill Taemin's mind all over again, and he turned away to focus on Yoogeun. For a few minutes, silence lingered between the two men. The evening breeze blew through their hair, filling the void.

Ruffling Yoogeun's hair, Taemin whispered, so as to not wake the sleeping angels, "You know, sometimes when Minho and I were alone, he would look at his half of the ring and start to cry. He couldn't help himself, and... and sometimes I actually cried with him." Key looked at at him, not knowing what to say. His lip quivered as he heard the words that flowed from Taemin's mouth. "I thought that he was saving the other half for you, and I cried because thanks to me, he was not able to give it to you. But now..." He sniffled, a tear about to fall from one eye. "I know that he was thinking of you, and wondered if you still thought of him... and I see that you clearly did." He held Yoogeun tighter. Key remained silent for a bit in order to organize his response. "Key, I know I told you before, but I hope you know that-"

"Don't say it." Taemin looked up at him in confusion. "Lee Taemin, listen to me. You don't need to apologize anymore, to either me or Minho. Unfortunately, none of us can change the past, but we can absolutely learn from it and make amends with it. You should stop crying over it, and forgive yourself for what has happened."

Taemin sniffled harshly, trying desperately to hold back his tears as memories of his conversation with Mr. Choi, his brawl with Minho, seeing Minho's tears countless times, and his conversation with Key in the hospital played in his mind all over again. "How can I? I practically separated you from your lover unnecessarily and caused all of this. Minho would not have married had it not been for me. All because I was too stupid to know what love is."

"But if that hadn't happened, Minho would not have had these two angels, and we would not be here in Seoul Land with them." Taemin thought about what he said, but still kept to himself. Key sighed and turned himself fully to face Taemin. He lifted the latter's chin so he would be forced to look at him. "Look, Taemin, you're not a bad person. I know you think you are, but you're not. You're a good man who just did what he thought was right, and who deserves to be happy, so stop mulling over the past. Could you do that for me? For us?"

Taemin, teary-eyed, tried to blink his tears away, but instead facilitated their downfall. He looked at the hope imbedded in Key's eyes. "I-I... I don't know... but for us... I think I can try." Key's lips stretched into a sincere smile, which only made the other's lips follow suit. "But I can't do it alone."

Key shook his head. "You don't need to. I'm here to help you through it."

Still doubtful but willing to hope for the better, Taemin simply smiled back. With nothing else left to say, they stared at the evening sky above their heads. They enjoyed a peaceful silence. Just as they were about to say something, Taemin's phone rang. He slid it out of his pocket and looked at the screen.

Taemin furrowed his eyebrows. "Huh? Looks like we don't have to hide anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"Apparently the parents left for the night and we can bring them back."

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm pooped from today. I think it's time we headed back."

"How are you tired? All you did was eat and complain!"

"And I used up all my strength to win that bunny for Sooyoung."

Taemin cackled. Together, he and Key carefully carried the children and their new toys to the car. The ride home was silent, but more out of fatigue than of awkwardness. They arrived at the Choi household at nighttime, and received a warm welcome from Minho and Yuri.

"Finally! Omo, what have we got here?!" Yuri asked delightedly as she welcomed the babysitters in and caught sight of two sleeping children.

"They fell asleep after a long day. You don't want to wake them up." Taemin whispered.

Minho supressed a laugh, and he and Yuri carefully picked up Yoogeun and Sooyoung, respectively, from their arms. The four grownups walked over to the kids' rooms to place them in bed.

"What's all this?" Minho asked, eyeing the two big bags in Taemin and Key's hands.

Key chimed. "We went to Seoul Land and won some toys for these little jitterbugs."

"You guys went to Seoul Land!?" Yuri quietly inquired.

"Yea. I thought it would be fun for the kids." Taemin smiled.

"Yoogeun's been begging us to go there all year. Looks like you beat us to it."

Taemin chuckled. "You could always go again. Yoogeun had so much fun that he couldn't stop talking about the rides."

"You went on rides!?"

"Taemin, Yoogeun's too young for the rides!" Minho complained.

"Actually, he just reached the age and height. Don't fret; we only went on a couple rides."

"I can tell, you're slurring your words. You look tired as hell."

"Wait, what about Sooyoung?" Yuri raised an eyebrow.

Key added bluntly, "I stayed with her while Yoogeun and Taemin-ssi went on the rides. She was upset that she was too young to try them."

"Oh, of course she would." Yuri remarked as she carefully placed Sooyoung in her bed.

"So what happened? Your folks just decided to leave? What happened to then stealing your beds and all that fuss about them sleeping over?"

Yuri chuckled. "Well, let's just say that they thought it best that they leave."

Key and Taemin nodded in understanding. Taemin smirked. "I take it that the night didn't go well?"

The grownups walked back into the living room. "Dinner was a distaster. You have no idea how much I wanted to punch Mr. Choi square in the face."

Taemin and Key guffawed, while Minho looked at her in shock. He had never heard such words come out of . On one hand, he liked hearing her express herself so openly; on the other, he was not sure if he was okay with what she said.

Taemin sighed. "I'd better head back before I fall asleep. Key, you coming?"

"No, that's fine. I'll stay back for a bit and grab a bite before I head back."

Taemin smirked. "I guess the funnel cake, cotton candy and hot dogs weren't enough."

Minho and Yuri widened their eyes.

"Cotton candy?"

"Hot dogs!?"

Key widened his eyes and pushed Taemin out the door. "Goodbye Taemin!!"

Taemin laughed as he said his last goodbye to the family and headed home. That left Yuri, Minho, and Key in the living room. Yuri saw the opportunity and made haste to take it.

She loudly yawned. "Well, I'm turning in early. Minho, remember to turn all the lights off before you head up."

"Got it."

She smiled and wished the two goodnight before heading up the stairs. Minho and Key looked at each other, hesitant to speak first.

Key decided to move things along and ask about dinner. "So, I guess it didn't go too well with your-"

He was silenced with a gentle but passionate kiss from his beau. Key, albeit slightly stunned, kissed back with equal passion. Minho hugged him as if he almost lost him, and Key placed his hands on Minho's waist to keep them close. When their lips naturally parted, Key looked up at him and chuckled.

"What was that for?"

Minho merely sighed and pulled him into another hug. "You're not gonna leave yet, are you?" Key sensed a slight desperateness in his voice.

"Not unless you want me to."

Minho smiled and pecked Key's cheek. Together, they made their way to the couch, hand in hand. Minho lied down along the couch, and motioned for Key to follow suit. The latter found comfort in sitting between Minho's legs and lying back against his chest. Minho wrapped his arms around Key's waist, and the latter rested his hands on top.

"Did you enjoy Seoul Land?"

"You could say that. All I did was comfort a crying Sooyoung and eat. And play games to win prizes. You should have seen the smiles on Yoo and Soo's faces. They were bright enough to light up a whole room."

"I'll see it this summer when we take them. But you know what I'd love to see?"

"What's that?"

Minho smirked. "Your face when you're on a roller coaster."

Minho immediately laughed and Key widened his eyes. "Yah you bastard!"

"I'm kidding! No, but seriously, I'd love to see your face. It'll be priceless."

"I'll kill you if you take my picture."

"Awww you wouldn't do that. You love me too much."

Unable to think of a clever comeback, Key weakly slapped Minho's knee. They enjoyed a moment of silence before Minho decided to bring up dinner.

"You know, today at dinner, Yuri argued with her parents about couples having the right to marry. Her mother was like 'How would you feel if your children turned out to be gay' and she was like 'I don't care. I certainly wouldn't disown them.'"

Key gasped. "Did she really?!"

"Yea. I'm proud of her."

"What did you do??"

"I just quietly watched. I didn't want to silence her."

"How did your dad react?"

"I think he was shocked but he didn't say anything."

"Heol." Key hesitated before asking, "Hey, can I ask you something?About your father?"

"Um... yea, sure. Anything."

Key drummed his fingers on Minho's hands. "How do you feel about your dad?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, considering what he did to you, to us, and how you say he treats you and you say he doesn't care about you and all that... I just can't help but wonder if you... I guess, love him at all."

Minho hesitated, then sighed in doubt. "Would you dislike me if I didn't?"

Key shook his head. "You know I wouldn't."

Minho glided his hands over Key's. He had to close his eyes in order to think about how to properly respond. "Honestly, Kibum, I don't know. I have a feeling that I started resenting him from the moment he splashed all that tea on you. Sure, I get it, his generation wasn't used to the idea of two men seeing each other. But the lengths he went to to keep us apart, his refusal to accept responsibility, his attitude and demeanor toward me... makes it hard for me to love him as my dad. I know it's wrong, since he did raise me alone ever since mom left, but... I can't help but think that he doesn't care about me. He was more focused on keeping his reputation in tact than on trying to make his son happy... I don't know. Why do you ask?"

Key to his side and pressed his cheek against his boyfriend's warm, rising chest. "I just... I want to understand. I feel bad that your dad treats you the way he does, and when you and Yuri talk about how much you despise him. I want to understand."

Minho held back a repressed tear. "I know you're not supposed to hate your parents, and I really try not to, but I-I.... I cant..."

Key rested his hand on Minho's chest and slid his thumb atop the latter's . "It's okay to not like your parents. Not all parents are perfect, and not all of them are good ones either. Although I can't comprehend hating my own parent, considering what your dad's done to you, I can't blame you for it. I can't imagine how hard it is for you."

Minho sniffled. "It's hard. You know it's not right, but at the same time, I know I can't condone what he's done. And as the grandfather of my kids, he feels the need to occasionally shower them with love. And every time I see him with my kids, I boil inside."

Key could hear Minho's heart racing, so he looked up at him and cupped his face. "I'm sorry I brought him up. But let's forget about him now. Your kids are upstairs, and your father got nowhere near them. I'm here with you, and that's all that matters now."

Minho calmed down, and smiled at his boyfriend's touch. He pecked the top of Key's head. "You know, despite how I feel about my dad, I always remember that I have a reason for it."

"And that is?"

"You, of course. At the end of the day, you're the person I care about most. I'm so lucky to have someone like you in my life. And I'm not about to let my dad keep you away from me again."

Minho's sweet, honest words warmed Key's heart. Key tenderly kissed his boyfriend's chest and snuggled against it. For a while, they talked more about their love for one another and about how happy they were with each other. Although Key had planned to go back to his own apartment, before either of them knew it, they had fallen asleep on the couch in each other's arms. Their warm, serene slumber remained uninterrupted, even as Yuri came down the stairs, wondering why Minho had not turned the lights off yet. She caught sight of the two lovers sleeping in a passionate embrace. Both held onto each other as if it was their last time. Yuri watched from afar. Although she was still not quite used to seeing her husband with his boyfriend, she knew from the smiles on their faces that they were happy, and that alone comforted her. She was genuinely happy for her husband. She had not seen him with a smile that big since she gave birth to their daughter, Choi Sooyoung. And even though she did not know much about his love life prior to marriage, judging from dinner that night, she figured that Mr. Choi had given both him and Key a hard time. But seeing him now, with his true love resting against him, assured Yuri that he was finally happy, and that made her happy in turn. With a loving heart, she went upstairs and fished out an extra pillow and quilt from the closet. She came back down and carefully lifted Minho's head to place the pillow underneath. She paused when she caught sight of Key's feet, which still had shoes on them. She softly chuckled, and slowly but cautiously slipped them off his feet, and placed them on the side of the couch. Enfin, she draped the blanket generously around the two lovers and, smiling to herself, she whispered "goodnight" before sauntering back to her room.