“Eomma! Eomma!” Changkyun giggles, holding out an expectant hand. “I want one, too!” Kihyun stares wearily at the upturned palm of his youngest son, hesitant to give him what he’s asking for. I.M pouts at the stare, unaware of the reasoning.  Kihyun finally gives in, unable to say no to that face, and sighs as he pulls one more sparkler from the pack.

“Just be careful, Changkyunnie,” Kihyun tells him. He kneels down to be eye-level with the five year-old. He hands it over and lights it, earning a delighted cry from his son. Changkyun turns on his heel and runs to join his older brothers, waving his sparkler about giddily.

Kihyun stands, his eyes never leaving the child. Hyunwoo comes to stand beside him, shooting his husband a questioning glance.

“He’ll be alright,” Hyunwoo tells him gently. “Hoseok won’t let anything bad happen to him. Besides, how much damage can a single sparkler do?” Kihyun in a breath through his teeth, shaking his head at the question.

“You never know with Changkyun-ah,” Kihyun murmurs. He turns his attention to the sizzling grill, inspecting the cooking meats. He sets upon flipping the chunks of beef and pork at seeing it’s time to do so. He hears Hyunwoo heave a sigh, and feels the older’s arms snake around his waist as he works.

“You dote on him too much,” Hyunwoo mumbles. “The other kids are starting to get jealous.” Kihyun breaths out a hyena-like laugh at this, shaking his head.

“I can’t help it,” Kihyun defends. “As if you have room to talk, anyway. You dote way more on Jooheon than I ever do with Changkyunnie.”

“And where does that leave the others?” Hyunwoo jokingly asks. He shakes his head, breaking away from the shorter man after kissing his dimpled cheek. “We’re awful parents.” Kihyun lurches forward in laughter at the comment, but quickly jumps back in surprise.

“Hot, hot!” he complains.

“Be careful!” Hyunwoo exclaims, pushing the younger away from the grill. Kihyun can’t help but laugh once more at the dramatic response, this time leaning back so as to keep away from the open heat source. Hyunwoo smiles down at him with his adorable, Buddha-like grin, his eyes becoming mere crescents. Kihyun glances up at his husband to thank him, but finds it hard to breathe at seeing the pure expression set on his face.

Kihyun leans up on his tiptoes to plant a feather-like peck on his lips. Hyunwoo leans into the kiss, loving the taste of sweet sweat forming on the younger’s upper lip due to the heat of working over the grill. Kihyun sighs contentedly, thinking this one of those perfect nights that people think only achievable through novels. He can’t think of what he could’ve possibly done in the past to deserve such a wonderful life.

Suddenly, a pained cry breaks through their blissful bubble. Kihyun’s head snaps over to where their children are playing, his heart jumping up his throat. He sees Changkyun on the ground, and Hoseok holding his youngest brother’s hand with a worried expression on his face. The other boys are surrounding them, watching them hesitantly.

Kihyun hurries over to his sons, dropping to his knees.

“Kukkungie, what happened?” he asks, taking the boy’s hand in his own.

“I’m okay, Eomma,” Changkyun says. “I thought the light was pretty and wanted to touch it, but it hurt when I did. It just hurt for a minute, though. I’m okay now!” His pout gives way to a bright smile, earning a sigh from Hoseok and Minhyuk, the two oldest.

“You worried me, Kyunnie,” Minhyuk tells him, ruffling his youngest brother’s hair. Changkyun pouts at his older brother for messing up his hair, reaching up to fix it with his free hand.

“What have I told you about playing with fire?” Kihyun prompts, examining his hand with an intense gaze. It seems completely fine, as if nothing had happened. He sighs and presses a relieved kiss to his son’s hand before dropping it.

“Sorry I worried you, Eomma,” Changkyun apologizes in a small voice, feeling guilty at seeing his father’s anxious stare. Kihyun gives him a gentle smile.

“As long as you’re okay,” Kihyun says, leaning forward to kiss him on the forehead before getting back up. Hyunwoo offers his husband a steadying hand as he straightens up, one he gratefully takes.

“Come on, boys,” Hyunwoo tells them, “the food’s almost ready, anyway. It’s time to wash up and eat.” The children respond with a chorus of cheers, and throw down their sparklers and stomp out the fires. Hoseok picks Changkyun up to give him a piggyback ride into the house, and Minhyuk, Hyungwon, and Jooheon quickly follow behind. Kihyun sighs, shaking his head as he bends down to pick up the sparklers to throw them away. Hyunwoo watches as he performs the small task and straightens up, grinning from ear to ear.

“I love you, Kihyunnie,” Hyunwoo says suddenly, earning a light chuckle from the younger.

“I love you, too, hyung,” Kihyun replies. They then go to plate the food and take it inside, where their sons are already beginning to come to one by one, waiting excitedly for the food.

Kihyun and Hyunwoo share a euphoric smile, one that remains with them throughout the rest of the night, not even leaving after they fall asleep in each other’s arms.