There was a meltdown currently occurring in front of him, and if it hadn’t been so frustrating, it might have been hysterically funny.

“I hate it when they tag team us!” Sehun shouted from next to him, Kyungjae’s soiled outfit wringing in his hands, and a bright red mark blooming into a bruise on his forehead from where Youri had kicked her shoe at him and landed a direct hit.

Luhan sighed, his ears ringing from the crying. “We’re already late! You know I hate being late!”

On the ground Youri was practically rolling back and forth, and next to her on the sofa, Kyungjae was giving it his best to match his sister’s tantrum.

Sehun leaned into Luhan’s side, wrapping an arm around his hip, and said into his ear, “I thought Youri’s terrible twos were supposed to be the worst. She’s four now—almost five.”

Luhan huffed a little.

He was usually terribly patient with his children, willing to give them room to settle into the things he wanted of them, and always keen on not pushing too hard. Of course he could be a disciplinarian if necessary, mostly because Sehun was a marshmallow when it came to that and Youri certainly knew. It wouldn’t be long before Kyungjae knew, either.

But they had somewhere important to be, and they were already running late.

“That’s it,” Luhan decided, sweeping in to scoop Kyungjae up into his arms. The baby careened back, crying louder, but Luhan ignored it. He pointed to Youri and ordered Sehun, “Pick her up. We’re leaving now.”

“Noooooo!” Youri screamed.

Sehun looked baffled. “This is all Suho’s fault.”

At that, Luhan laughed a little. It kind of was, a little, but mostly this meltdown was just a byproduct of their daughter’s fiercely opinionated and independent way of being. Suho was the one who’d bought her the junior scientist kit, where she could conduct harmless experiments and watch basic chemical reactions. And Youri had loved it from the start, maybe almost too much.

Now she was throwing an epic fit because they had to leave, and she wanted to stay indoors and experiment with what reacted with baking powder, and in which way.

Kyungjae was just being a baby, of course. But in part, Luhan thought he was already too good at being his sister’s conspirator. He’d decided to sick up all over his carefully planned outfit just as Youri was getting ramped up with her tantrum.

“How late are we?” Sehun asked, Youri in his arms, ignoring the way she twisted and protested to be put down.

“Only fifteen minutes now,” Luhan said, hefting Kyungjae into a more comfortable position on his hip. “But we still need to make the drive out to the country.”

Sehun grimaced. “And if we’re really lucky, we get to hear this all the way, don’t we?”

Sehun was making the most adorable, wretched face, that Luhan couldn’t help himself leaning over to kiss him.

“The car is already loaded up,” Luhan reminded. “Let’s just go. The kids can cry themselves out if they want. You and I have to be there. You missed last time. Imagine how we’ll never live it down if we both miss this one.”

Three years. It had taken three years to get all of their friends in one spot for one big gathering. And when that had occurred, after Luhan had spent three years trying to make it happen, the debacle with Sehun’s job had occurred and he’d missed it all. No one had given either of them grief over it when the truth of it all had come out. But it still stung.

This time it had only taken a little over a year to get everyone back in the same place, and if that wasn’t some kind of miracle, Luhan didn’t know what was.

Maybe fate was just aligning in their favor for once. Because it sure felt like a miracle that both Lay and Suho had called within days of each other, giving the same time estimate for being in Korea. After that it had only been a little difficult to reign everyone else in, and make schedules match up.

Of course none of that was going to matter if their children weren’t willing to cooperate long enough to even get out the door.

“Sehun,” Luhan started again. The car was already packed up for the drive and sub sequential picnic they had planned for the day. He was at the point where he thought it was best if they just buckled the kids in and left, crying aside.

Sehun turned to him, then gave a loud shout, “Ow! Oh Youri!”

Luhan could see what had happened right away. “Daiyu!”

Youri practically tumbled down to the ground as Sehun released her to clutch at his hand. Specifically at the spot where she’d bitten him.

“I wanna stay!” She shouted at them. “I don’t wanna go to a stupid picnic!”

“Are you okay?” Luhan asked Sehun, trying to get a better look at his hand, even as Kyungjae’s tears seemed to finally dry up and he leaned wearily against Luhan’s chest.

“Take him out to the car,” Sehun ordered roughly, fingers pinched. “Get him in his car seat, okay? Youri and I need to have a very serious talk about how it’s not okay to bite people.” There was nothing but seriousness on Sehun’s face, and on the ground Youri was now sulking.

Slowly, Luhan nodded. “Okay. Please join us as soon as possible.”

Sehun was absolutely a marshmallow with their children. He utterly struggled to be an authority figure in their lives. It was simply a reflection of how much he loved them, his personality, and the trauma in his past. But Luhan felt like this moment was about to be an exception.

“Come on, Jae,” Luhan said as he exited the house and headed towards the car. Before Youri’s meltdown they’d been ready to leave right away, and the car doors were even still open. Luhan was actually grateful, because the weather was hot, and an aired out car meant he could put Kyungjae right into his car seat.

Kyungjae gave deep breaths as he calmed, and it seemed like the worst of the tears were over.

“What was that all about?” Luhan asked gently, fingers brushing away tears. Then he pushed some of his son’s wispy baby hair back, clearing his forehead for a kiss. “Why the anger all the sudden? Your sister is a great role model most of the time. But maybe not in cases like these.”

Kyungjae’s fingers wrapped around Luhan’s shirt as he leaned closer to buckle the care seat fully in, and Luhan couldn’t help kissing him again and again.

It was almost felt scary the level of ferocity he felt when it came to his children. Before Youri had come along, and then Kyungjae, he hadn’t known it was possible to love someone so much and so consuming. It had been a wonderful lesson to learn.

“All better now?” Luhan wondered. Kyungjae had soiled his outfit fifteen minutes earlier, and now he was in just a diaper and white undershirt. “I guess this is how you’re going,” Luhan decided. Youri had been pretty good at letting him dress her up, especially if Baekhyun or Suho were involved. Kyungjae less so.

Kyungjae’s packed diaper bag certainly had several changes of clothes, and Luhan resolved to wait until Kyungjae went down for his next nap before trying to wrangle him into real clothes.

“Ssshhh,” Luhan soothed, fingers through Kyungjae’s hair as he calmed nearly all the way. “You’re okay. No more mean, terrible clothes. Not for a while, at least. I promise.”

Luhan gave his best grin to the baby, and still to the day, was completely unnerved at the sight of himself looking back at him.

Youri was an almost clever looking mix of himself and Sehun. She had features from the both of them, even if her personality was utterly distinct. But Kyungjae? He was very much, in every was possible, Sehun’s son, even if he only looked Luhan’s.

It hadn’t been so obvious when Kyungjae had been born. It hadn’t been noticeable for months. But Kyungjae was over half a year now. His features were settling. His looks were defined. And aside from tiny, small things, Luhan only saw himself.

Sehun only saw Luhan in him, too.

“I think it’s amazing,” Sehun had whispered to him one night as they lay in bed. They were sticky from making love, and sated, and Luhan had been dozing. Sehun had whispered to him then, “I love that I see so much of him in you. Why wouldn’t I want my son to look like the person I love the most in this world?”

Kyungjae had all of Luhan’s most prominent features, from the shape of his face, to his eyes, to his nose.

Sehun had added then, just before dropping off to sleep, “The next one can look like me, okay?”

Luhan had hit him on the shoulder then, not hard, but enough to make a point. Of course they wanted another baby. They’d talked about three being a nice number. But that third baby was a long time off. And Sehun could have it himself if he was so keen on it. Luhan was going to be glad to get back to his prebaby body, and have it for some time.

“No more crying now, okay?”

The last of the tears were wiped away and Luhan reached over for the small bag of toys they’d learned to keep in the backseat of the car. He jingled a brightly colored toy in front of Kyungjae before handing it over to him to chew on. Luhan had felt several teeth in his mouth the last time Kyungjae had tried to gnaw on his fingers. Kyungjae seemed moments away from full blood teething.

Luhan was just slipping into the front seat when Sehun emerged from the house, Youri up in his arms. Her face was clear of tears, and she seemed calm and in control of herself again. If anything, she looked regretful and even a little guilty.

“Did you have a good talk?” Luhan asked as Sehun helped her into her booster seat. He wasn’t sure which of them he was asking.

“I’m sorry, baba,” Youri apologized, sniffling a little. But she didn’t cry, so Luhan counted that as a win. She also had a magnifying glass in one hand, and one of her bug catching nets in the other. Luhan took that as a compromise Sehun had worked out with her.

“Okay?” Luhan asked Sehun quietly when he got into the passenger seat.

Sehun reached across for Luhan’s hand. “Perfectly fine,” he answered. “Now, ready to get out and see our friends?”

“Absolutely.”

It was a twenty minute car ride out of the city, and then another fifteen to where they were set to meet with everyone else. Kyungjae fell asleep before they were even out of Seoul, and Youri was content enough to play with her toys.

“Excited?” Sehun asked as they moved ever closer to their destination.

“Of course I am,” Luhan scoffed. “And so are you.”

Sehun gave him a knowing smile. “I’m always exited to see our family again.”

They were, predictably enough, the last to arrive.

With Kyungjae sleeping in his arms, Luhan and Sehun climbed a big hill up away from where they’d left the car, and Youri charged ahead. “It still kind of freaks me out,” Sehun admitted, carrying their contribution to the picnic in his arms, big boxes filled with food meant to be shared with friends and family. “How can she just freak out in one moment and be perfectly fine the next?”

Luhan laughed loudly. “She’s a kid, Sehun. More than that, she’s our kid. How can you be surprised?”

Sehun reached over to rub at Kyungjae’s back slightly, the baby sleeping through the motion. “I’ve got hope for this one, Luhan. There’s still hope.”

Luhan laughed again, and up ahead they were spotted. It was only seconds before Tao was waving wildly a them and charging down to meet them.

“Careful,” Sehun said, catching Tao by the collar and trying to pluck him away from Luhan and a sleeping Kyungjae.

“You’re still such a kid,” Luhan told him gently. “Tao. Nice to see you.” There was a part of him that truly hoped Tao never really grew up.

“Is that him?” Tao asked. He craned around for a better look at Kyungjae.

They started the rest of the way up the hill to where the others were waiting, and Luhan pointed out, “You saw him when he was born.”

Everyone had, for the most part. They’d all come and gone at different times, and it hadn’t been like when Youri had been born, but in the weeks that came after Kyungjae’s birth, all of the people who mattered most had drifted in and out to greet the newest member of the family. But it was true that Tao had been working abroad since that time.

“He’s just so big now,” Tao protested. “Babies grow up way too fast.”

Luhan nodded in agreement. His little Youri wasn’t so little anymore. She was in kindergarten now, wanted to dress herself completely in the morning, and was less and less dependent with every passing day. She wasn’t the tiny little baby now, that she had been before.

“When do I get to hold him?” Tao asked, bouncing a little on his feet.

“Soon,” Luhan promised, ignoring the anxious look Sehun gave him. Luhan rolled his eyes. Tao had never dropped any of the children. The same couldn’t be said for Suho. Luhan and Sehun were still sworn to secrecy on that one, and Youri had had the most magnificent third birthday party to show for it.

Luhan felt his heart swell up when they finally reached the top of the hill. Spread out over an impressive area were dozens of blankets, with food already being passed out, children running about, and a sense of excitement in the air that Luhan had been looking forward to for a long, long time.

“Ahra!” Youri called out, and took off like a marathoner for her.

“You’re late,” Suho observed, coming to greet them. He pulled Sehun into a firm hug, and Luhan couldn’t help noticing the gleam of Suho’s new, golden wedding ring as it caught the light of the high sun above them. It suited him well.

And it had been a beautiful wedding, too. Luhan had worried at first about being able to attend the event. Kyungjae had only just been born, and was less than three months old. And the wedding itself was being held in New York. The last thing Luhan had wanted to do was fly with a baby that young, and a four-year-old. Not even with Sehun’s help did Luhan think that was a good idea.

“Well,” Suho had said, “I’m not getting married without you being there.”

Luhan hadn’t known what that was all about, not until he and Sehun had been out to visit Sehun’s mother and seen a half dozen people out in the expansive garden area, huddled together over tablets, obviously planning something out.

“What’s going on?” Luhan had asked, handing Kyungjae over to Sehun’s mother.

She’d asked them, “Don’t you think the gardens would be a beautiful place for a wedding?”

And then, three weeks after that Suho and Emily arrived in Seoul for a relocated wedding. Luhan had been trying to get a fussy Kyungjae down for a nap in the nursery, and the happy couple were over visiting while Sehun was working from home in his office. The baby monitor had been on, and Luhan could hear them talking downstairs in the study where one of the monitors had been left.

He hadn’t been eavesdropping on purpose, but he also couldn’t help overhearing Suho tell Sehun, “We talked about it a lot, you know. I needed Emily to really understand what you mean to me, before we could take the final plunge in our relationship. I’m not saying she’s going to be competing with you, but you, Sehun? My parents, but mostly you, you are everything to me. In a lot of ways, you’re all I have left of Jae, and I desperately need that connection.”

“Suho…”

Suho had pressed, “You’re my brother in every way that matters. You’re also my best friend. I need you there with me, Sehun, when I get married. I need you standing up there as my best man. And if that means I have to move my wedding to Korea, in order to make sure that happens, it’s something I’m willing to do.”

Sehun had questioned, “You’re telling me your fiancée was okay? Especially with losing all that money? I know you put a deposit on the place in New York, and the catering, and—”

“That’s why I’m marrying her,” Luhan had heard Suho respond. “Aside from the fact that I love her very much. She just understands, Sehun. She understands the things that are most important to me, and she does what she can. Plus, money is just money.”

“And the inconvenience of it?”

Suho explained, “My parents are older than hers. Mine hate traveling, too. It took work to get them to come visit two years ago, and they haven’t been back since because they hate traveling so much. Hers? They love traveling. We’re going to have a reception for our friends in New York when all this is said and done, but the wedding? It’s definitely happening here in Korea, where you can attend, and my parents, and Luhan, and all the people I care the most about.”

So they had had the wedding in Korea, and it had been lovely. So it was almost a shocker that Suho was back in the country again so soon now. But Luhan wasn’t taking anything for granted. He just wanted to enjoy the time they had.

“Youri had a meltdown,” Luhan said when Suho reached to hug him, careful of the baby.

“He looks more and more like you every day,” Suho observed when he peered down at Kyungjae. “And he’s grown so much since the past couple months I’ve been away.”

“I hope he’s incentive,” Sehun said, knocking Suho playfully in the shoulder. “You could do with starting your own family.”

Suho gave a deep laugh. “Maybe not so soon, okay? Emily and I are really enjoying just being married to each other. And our careers, for that matter too. We’ll talk about kids when we get there eventually.”

“Fair enough,” Sehun said with a shrug. “Because Youri might just die of heartbreak if she thinks she’s not the most important person in the world to you anymore.”

“No chance of that,” Suho swore. “I’ll never let her think any different.”

Luhan had no doubt.

“Luhan!” Xiumin called out when they were a little closer. He gestured to the spot next to him, the only one open in a cluttered sea of people and food everywhere. “I saved you a spot.”

“You mind if I catch up with Chen for a second?” Sehun asked, nodding towards where Chen and Eunji were spread out on a blue blanket more in the shade than not.

“Go, go,” Luhan urged, then passed Kyungjae to Sehun. “Jae might do better in the shade, don’t you think?”

Now an expert baby handler, Sehun completed the pass without so much as the baby stirring. “Good thinking.” He pressed a kiss to Luhan’s mouth. “Get good gossip. Report back later.”

Luhan laughed at him, but didn’t dispute that they’d probably be talking about their friends for hours later that night.

“Glad you decided to shop up,” Xiumin greeted, handing Luhan a bottle of water. It was a much needed refreshment on a hot day.

“Hey,” Luhan protested. “I have to get four people out the door. You only have one.”

In an indignant, offended way, Wei sat up. He’d been laying out on his back next to Xiumin, sunglasses on his face, soaking in the sun. “I don’t count?”

Luhan challenged, “Does Xiumin dress you?”

Wei wiggled his eyebrows. “Sometimes he undresses me.”

Xiumin gave him an elbow to the side and Wei chuckled, laying back down, hands going behind his head. “Ignore this idiot. But to answer your question, yes, sometimes I do have to make sure he’s respectable enough looking to go out in public.”

Wei called out, “Love you too.”

In all truthfulness, Luhan hadn’t been sure if Wei was even going to be in the country past his six month projection, let alone make the relationship with Xiumin work that had only started to bud when Wei had first come to stay with Luhan and Sehun.

He’d been pulling for them, of course, but he’d long since learned the future was far too difficult to predict.

But he had. Wei had stayed the expected six months, and then he’d filed for an extension with his visa. He’d taken another assignment in Korea, and then another, and then to top it all off, he’d moved in with Xiumin.

Once and only once, Luhan had commented to him, “I thought you were more nomadic by nature. I thought you hated staying in one place for too long.”

Wei had only shrugged and countered, “Maybe I just needed something worth staying for.”

For the most part, nothing had changed with Xiumin. He still overworked himself at his clinic, and was a little too closed off, but Wei was certainly helping. Xiumin came out to dinner more often now, and certainly smiled more, and generally seemed more happy.

Luhan had no idea if they were thinking long term, but it undoubtedly meant something that Wei had given up his apartment and they were living together. Luhan hoped it meant that two incredibly important people were able to find happiness with each other.

“Ah,” Xiumin said, gesturing to Youri who seemed to be leading Ahra on an adventure of misbehavior already. “Things were too boring without you and your family here. You definitely saved the day.”

Luhan uncapped the water and took a long drink, commenting, “Your welcome. I know you’d be terribly bored without me me your life. You’re very welcome.”

Xiumin scoffed, but he had a smile for Luhan all the same.

The day was hot, but it wasn’t unbearable, and Luhan grew to enjoy the feeling of warmth as the afternoon passed. Because Kyungjae was so young he ended up spending a lot more time inside than out, so being out in the sun was a nice change.

Even better was the chance to catch up with old friends, and eat good food. Sehun was more than happy to carry Kyungjae around while he was sleeping, and then keep him preoccupied when he was awake, at least until Luhan was starting to feel separation anxiety himself.

“Couldn’t stay way?” Sehun joked, handing Kyungjae over without preamble.

Luhan huffed a little, “Don’t you judge me, Oh Sehun.”

Sehun, who was clustered around Kai and D.O., promised, “You know I never would.”

Kai vouched for him, “He’s smarter than that.”

“Debatable,” D.O., reconsidered.

Bracing a hand under Kyungjae, Luhan said, “Don’t let Sehun fool any of you. He cried the first time Youri went off to kindergarten by herself and didn’t even look back.”

Sehun scowled. “You traitor, Luhan.”

“It was adorable,” Luhan insisted.

Laughing loudly, Kai broke in, “That reminds me, Luhan. If you or Sehun are interested, my studio is extending to some baby and me classes. They’re designed to just get everyone moving and stay engaged, and only run about forty-five minutes, three times a week. I was thinking you might want to enroll Youri.”

“Youri’s not exactly a baby anymore,” Luhan pointed out.

“I know,” Kai chuckled. “The classes are just called that. We hope to start kids around two or three, and take them all the way up to the adult classes.”

D.O. ribbed him, “That’s one way to build brand loyalty.”

Kai snapped at him, “Don’t be jealous, D.O., you could take some classes yourself. Your coordination could be improved, that’s for sure.”

D.O. leaned over in a very coordinated way to pinch Kai.

“I’ll talk it over with Youri, and if she wants to do it, I’ll get her signed up,” Luhan promised, then escaped before bickering overtook everything.

By the time desert was coming out, Luhan had practically commandeered Baekyun’s blanket. Kyungjae was more than happy to crawl around on the blanket, easily corralled by Taeyeon who was still gushing about how adorable he was.

But Luhan’s attention himself was on Baekhyun’s son. He almost couldn’t believe that Baekhyun had been willing to bring him out of the house. Unlike Kyungjae who’d been healthy and normal and surprisingly quiet for a baby, Baekhyun’s son had been the opposite. He’d been colicky from the start, and had a poor reaction to the first of his booster shots.

Baekhyun, naturally, had smothered the baby into some forced isolation in his home, even so much as taking a semester off from school.

“He’s looking so much better now,” Luhan said, brushing a finger gently against the baby’s cheek. “I take it you got it all figured out.”

Baekhyun hovered on his knees next to Luhan, looking at his son with such love that Luhan nearly handed the baby right back over to him.

“That’s one way to say it,” Baekhyu said with a huff, leaning a hand on Luhan’s knee. “Turns out he’s allergic to practically everything they’ve tested him for at this point.”

“Seriously?” Luhan asked, eyes going wide. His attention drifted to Kyungjae who was just close enough to the edge of the blanket to reach the nearby grass. He was reaching for it like it would be seconds before it ended up in his mouth. Kyungjae, like Youri, was proving to be an exceptionally healthy baby. “Is everything okay?”

Baekhyun nodded. “We know what to watch for now, and what we’ll keep him away from in the future.” Baekhyun leveled a decisive finger up at Luhan. “That son of yours better keep that in mind when he decides to drag mine into one of his harebrained schemes.”

Luhan burst out a loud choke of laughter. “Kyungjae is barely old enough to crawl. He hasn’t even managed to pull himself up to his feet yet. I think it’s going to be a long time before your son is egging mine on to get into trouble.”

“Oh, is that what Ahra does with Youri?”

“You’d bet it is,” Luhan said right back. “Youri is a natural born leader, but she doesn’t come up with everything all on her own. I daresay your daughter is the brains behind it all.”

A smile lit across Baekhyun’s face. “They’re the perfect pair, I guess.”

Luhan pointed out where Youri and Ahra had taken over their own blanket, one that had belonged to Chanyeol. But Chanyeol was currently stealing a second round of desert from Kris who was doling it out.

“I’m glad, you now,” Luhan said softly, relishing in the weight of Baekhyun’s son in his arms.

“Glad about what?” Baekhyun asked.

“That we’re friends,” Luhan told him honestly. There had been times, of course, when he hadn’t been sure if their friendship was one out of necessity, or if it was truly a natural and impacting one. But these days, with how their children were best friends, and how Luhan knew he and Baekhyun could share anything with each other, he knew what was real. At some point, Baekhyun had been able to stop seeing the person who had taken his friend’s spot, and Luhan thought they were all better for it.

Baekhyun gave him a look that said he was continually impressed with how stupid Luhan could sound, and scoffed, “Of course we’re friends.”

“I know,” Luhan insisted. “I’m just glad for it.”

“You are so weird,” Baekhyun breathed out. “Also, your son is eating grass.”

With a chuckle, Luhan passed the baby back to Baekhyun and then got to his feet to retrieve Kyungjae.

They spent hours out in the warmth. They spent hours in the company of good friends and good food. But eventually even Luhan could determine when it was all starting to wind down.

“I guess it’s about that time,” Sehun commented. Eventually he and Luhan had found their way back to each other’s side. Now Youri as napping on the blanket next to them, and Luhan had Kyungjae in his lap, the baby more than happily occupied with a couple of toys and his pacifier. The sun was starting to dip in the distance and people were packing their things up.

“I had a good time,” Luhan told him, running his fingers through Kyungjae’s hair.

Sehun agreed with a nod. “Especially since everyone showed up. I thought Chanyeol might be the hold out, actually. He was only able to push his fight at the last second. He’s lucky we have a very understanding boss.”

Luhan was the one who was thankful. He was more thankful than he thought he could ever properly express that Chanyeol had gotten the lead on the Hong Kong project, and Sehun had gotten himself moved over to a more domestic based one.

It kind of felt like a fairy tale in a way, because everything had worked out wonderfully, and everyone had gotten what they wanted in the end. Luhan hadn’t really thought things like that could happen in real life. But the proof was there. Every morning Sehun got up and was excited to go to work, and got to stay—for the most part, in the greater Seoul area, and got the weekends off for his family, and didn’t have to do extensive traveling.

Luhan was even proud of Chanyeol, who’d always been a little too comfortable in taking the backseat on things, and not becoming a leader in his own right. In the past year Chanyeol had done even more growing up, and was impressively juggling a demanding job, and a growing social life.

Yes, Luhan had gotten the flurry of texts from Kai and Baekhyun when the two of them had spotted Chanyeol out on a date with the same person three times in a row. For Chanyeol, that was impressive, and now they were all waiting for a proper introduction.

“Luhan?”

Luhan’s head tilted back as Lay approached, his fingers interlocked with Yiru’s. If Luhan had thought marriage was good for Lay a year ago, it was looking even more beneficial to him now.

Marriage had a way of putting strain on relationships. Marriage had a way of testing bonds.

But Lay and Yiru’s marriage, no matter how it had been arranged, the lack of love they’d probably felt for each other when it took place, was only flourishing. Luhan liked looking at them and seeing stability and strength, and proof.

“Leaving?” Luhan asked.

“We’re leaving,” Lay confirmed. “But thank you for continuing to put these gatherings together. Have I ever told you how I enjoy them? What they mean to me?”

“I’ll do them for as long as possible,” Luhan promised. “I want us to all have grandkids and still be getting together once every couple of years for things like this.”

“You’re well on your way,” Lay said, kneeling down to kiss the top of Kyungjae’s head. “I’ll write you.”

“I’ll write you back,” Luhan promised. Lay’s correspondences were some of the emails that he looked forward to the most. “Have a safe flight.”

Of all their friends, Luhan had worried the least about Lay. But it was always nice to see for himself how well his old friend was doing.

Before the bulk of everyone had left, Kris made Luhan promise to come by a new café location to get some of his art hung up in it—something that was more of a tradition now than anything else.

“I think,” Sehun said in Luhan’s ear, causing a shiver, “it’s our time to get going. Kyungjae hasn’t had a proper napping schedule today, so he’ll be unbearable later. And Youri’s sleeping a little too much. We should get her up and moving before it’s too late and she won’t sleep at all tonight.”

“You’re such a dad,” Luhan teased, turning his head to catch Sehun’s mouth. “It’s very y.”

They were almost home, an hour later, when Sehun turned to Luhan and said, “I invited Chen and Eunji over for dinner next week okay?”

“Of course it’s okay,” Luhan said right away. “You know they’re some of our best friends.”

“I just wanted to check,” Sehun insisted.

And without a shadow of a doubt, Sehun had been happier since Chen had moved back to Korea. It had felt a little abrupt at the time, with Chen not even letting them know it was happening until days before, but Luhan wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Sehun needed his best friend in the same way Luhan needed Xiumin.

Chen coming home to Korea was probably the best thing he could have done, in any case. Because the way Luhan understood it, Chen’s marriage with Eunji had been failing. Infertility and a lack of communication had nearly driven them apart.

Eunji and Chen coming back to Korea meant them immersing themselves in a group of people who could support them, and cared for them, and would help however necessary.

“Is everything okay?” Luhan asked with a wince. “I mean with them.”

Sehun grimaced and admitted, “They got an update about their position on the wait list. They got pushed back. Buearocracy. Bah.” He shook his head in irritation. “But the good news is they’re not giving up. They committed to adopting, Luhan. It’s the path they’re going to walk, and I guess all we can do is support them.”

Luhan made a noise of agreement. And honestly, he was quite proud of his friends. They could have easily given up on each other and the future they’d once wanted to have. Eunji could have thrown herself into her career. Chen could have come back to Korea alone. And paperwork could have been filed.

Instead the two of them had gone away together on a much needed vacation. They’d talked about their future, their wants, and their dreams. They’d figured out what was working for them, and what wasn’t. Then they’d made the decision to come back to Korea, where their home was, and to start the process of adoption.

“You know we’ll help them however we can,” Luhan assured. “Chen was always there for us, and Eunji … I don’t know how we would have gotten through Youri’s pregnancy without her. Whatever they need, we’ve got them.”

“Thank you,” Sehun breathed out. “It’s not fair, you know. Chen said to stop feeling sorry for them, and I know I should, but I can’t. It’s not fair that we got Youri and Kyungjae so easily, and Chen has to wait to be told when he can be a father.” Sehun took a couple of deep, steadying breaths. “But Chen is right, and you’re right, and I know what we have to do. We have to keep steady. We have to support them, and not let ourselves feels sorry. It’s just hard.”

Luhan told him firmly, “You’re a very good friend, Sehun. I hope you give yourself enough credit in that department.”

Sehun gave a low chuckle. “All that therapy I’ve been paying for for years, better be worth something.”

“Somethings tells me that has nothing to do with how good of a person you are,” Luhan said certainly.

“Seriously,” Sehun said as they were climbing into bed. “Today was a really good day.”

his side, Luhan said, “People drift. That’s just an unfortunate fact of life. People drift and it’s completely normal. But when we do stuff like this, and make an effort, it makes the pain less.”

“You’re very wise,” Sehun eased out, lowering himself over Luhan and cupping his face tenderly. “You’ve always been decades wiser than the people around you.”

“It’s not inherent,” Luhan chuckled, hooking a leg around Sehun’s waist to pull him closer. “You just … when you only have yourself to depend on, you learn to grow up really fast, and you start to look at the world differently around you.”

“You’re not alone anymore,” Sehun said almost fiercely, bending down to give Luhan a searing kiss. “And we’ll never let happen to our kids, what your parents did to you.”

Until Sehun had mentioned them, Luhan hadn’t spared his parents a thought for months and months.

They’d issued that thinly veiled ultimatum half a year ago, before Kyungjae had even been born, practically attempting to coerce Luhan into letting them have access to Youri. And from that, Luhan had learned one very important thing.

Suho wasn’t nearly as squeaky clean as he professed to be.

Luhan hadn’t asked for details, he hadn’t gone poking around for information, and he hadn’t leveled any accusations at Suho. He simply knew that Suho had taken his parent’s letter to be some personal threat against his family, and reacted accordingly so. Suho didn’t just have friends in high places in Korea, that seemed to extend to China as well, and whatever Suho had done, had caused a termination of all communication.

“You have nothing to worry about,” Suho had told him simply over the phone once, months after Wei had brought the letter. “Concentrate on that baby you’re about to have, and not the life you left behind.”

If Sehun knew what Suho had done to Luhan’s parents to make them back off, he certainly wasn’t talking. But Luhan wasn’t pressing, either.

“I love you,” Sehun told him kindly, kissing him with a grin. “Sometimes I think about how much I love you, and it blows my pants off.”

Luhan snapped playfully at the waistband of Sehun’s pajama bottoms. “Speaking of pants coming off.”

“Oh,” Sehun breathed out, reached down to pull Luhan’s pelvis more flush against his own. “That can definitely be arranged.”

Luhan pulled him down into a more consuming kiss them, with more tongue and teeth, and definitely more intent. Sehun kissed back eagerly, and Luhan’s fingers dug deep into Sehun’s hair.

Just half a minute later the sound of a baby cut through the previously quiet house.

“No way,” Sehun breathed out, shuddering against Luhan in frustration. “Please tell me that is not our son, interrupting our special, very private time, probably with a wet diaper.”

Luhan teased, “We should have a second baby, you said. Don’t you want a second baby, you asked.

Sehun snuck a kiss as the crying continued, and commented, “Hey now, you were a very willing participant, need I remind you.”

“No disagreement there,” Luhan laughed out. Then he pushed at Sehun’s shoulder. “I pulled diaper duty last night. This is all you.”

“Duty calls,” Sehun sighed out, then lifted himself off Luhan and started for the door.

He was almost at it, reaching for the door handle, when Luhan sat up in bed and pulled his shirt over his head. Pointedly, he told Sehun, “If you’re quick enough, you never know what might be waiting for you when you get back.”

With a flying leap, a comical one at that, Sehun landed back on the bed, and pressed a kiss against Luhan’s lips with such passion that the both of them toppled back against the sheets.

“Go!” Luhan giggled against another kiss. “Go and then hurry back.”

Sehun gave a serious salute, and took off at a sprint.

Luhan watched him go, and just felt awed.

He loved Sehun. He loved Sehun so much. God, he loved him so much he felt like he might burst from the feeling.

Not more than a minute late Sehun burst back into the bedroom, but unexpectedly he had Kyungjae with him, and an obviously soiled diaper.

“Emergency!” Sehun hissed to him, and when he turned Kyungjae, Luhan could see there’d been an explosion of poop everywhere, and it had leaked out of the diaper to crawl its way up Kyungjae’s back into his pajama onesie. “Luhan! Help!”

Kyungjae’s face scrunched up even further, and he began to wail in earnest.

“Oh, no,” Luhan squeaked out, trying not to burst into laugher. He reached for Kyungjae and told Sehun, “Go get us set up in the bathroom, will you? Looks like this little guy is getting a second bath tonight.”

“Got it,” Sehun said. But then he hesistated.

“What?” Luhan asked, ignoring the poop to put Kyungjae against his hip. It was fair to say that the night was probably ruined for anything but cleaning the baby up and getting him settled again.

“Look,” Sehun said bashfully, “this is going to sound really weird, but right now, just seeing you take charge and deal with Kyungjae? It’s super hot.”

“Yes, I’m sure this is very romantic,” Luhan protested.

Pressing Kyungjae between them, Sehun kissed him slowly—deliberately. “To me, Luhan, there is nothing more romantic than seeing the man I love, taking care of our children.”

Luhan’s heart gave a stutter of desire, and he kissed Sehun’s cheek as he passed him. “Come on, husband of mine. Let’s go bathe our stinky son.”

“Right behind you,” Sehun replied, and hurried after him.

Hours later everything was set right. Both children were asleep, the house was quiet, and Luhan could feel the comforting weight of Sehun against him. He was hoping to drop off soon himself, the sound of Kyungjae’s baby monitor lulling him into it.

So naturally, that was when the phone next to the bed began to ring shrilly. Luhan reached for it with a viper’s speed. The home phone almost never rang, so it was almost a startling sound to heart. But Luhan was distinctly aware of how early Sehun needed to be up for work the following morning, and how light of a sleep he’d really become.

“Hello?” Luhan asked, his voice a little gravely. He cleared his throat and sat up in the darkness, trying not to jostle Sehun.

“Luhan," Suho breathed out from the other side of the line, the tone of his voice frightening.

“Suho,” Luhan replied, reaching for the light on the bedside table. “What’s wrong.”

Something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong.

“Are you home?” Suho demanded, and echoing in the distance Luhan could hear the distinct sounds of cars and people. Suho was outside?

“What’s going on?” Sehun asked with a rumble, sitting up and hardly looking aware of much.

Luhan glanced briefly at the clock nearby. “It’s two in the morning, Suho. Of course we’re home.”

There was relief palpable in Suho’s voice as he said, “Okay. Good. Stay there. Swear to me you’ll stay there.”

Luhan gripped harder at the phone. “Suho. What’s wrong? Why …” Why did Suho sound so scared?

“I need you to stay there,” Suho repeated, and then Luhan could hear Emily in the background, calling out that their cab had arrived. Where was Suho going? “Do not leave that house.”

“You are scaring me,” Luhan ground out, and he felt Sehun’s arm come around him. “Tell me what’s going on.”

Sounding a little breathless, “I just got a notification—from my guy in customs. They pinged, Luhan. The just pinged.”

“Pinged?” Luhan felt his stomach drop out, and then even with Sehun wrapped around him, he was too frozen to move.

With a gust of exhale, Suho finally said, “Your parents, Luhan. My guy in customs said their passports just came through. They’re in the country. They’re in South Korea. And if I had to bet anything, I’d say they’re coming straight in your direction.”

“Luhan,” Sehun said, looking terrified in his own right. But Luhan couldn’t guess if Sehun had heard Suho’s words, or if he was just parroting back the look on Luhan’s own face.

“I’m on my way,” Suho told them over the phone. “Don’t do anything until I get there.”

Sehun abandoned Luhan in a second, frantically kicking the blankets away as he practically tumbled out of bed. He took the curve to their room so hard he nearly hit the door, then he was flying down the hallway, going to one place and only one place.

Voice nearly a whisper, Luhan asked, “Both of them.”

“Both,” Suho relayed.

A second later Luhan could hear Sehun on Kyungjae’s baby monitor, murmuring to himself about everything being safe.

“Okay,” Luhan said shakily. “Okay.”

“Stay there,” Suho said, sounding like a song on repeat.

“Okay,” Luhan repeated too.

But things were far from okay, and with the threat of his parents suddenly too close, Luhan didn’t know how things could be again.

Thank you, thank you so much to everyone who decided to come back for this second story in the series. When I finished the first, I never had any plans to even write this story. But now that it's all said and done, I have to extend appreciation to all of you who stuck with it until the end, and supported the story, and had kind words for me. Thank you for being invested in these characters. Thank you for caring.

And who knows, there might be a final and third story in the series on the way at some point. Because it would be a terrible, terrible thing to just leave it like that. Right?

Anyway, this is the one and only time, if any of you know me by now, that I will ever ask for feedback and comments. Please leave a comment and tell me how you enjoyed the story as a whole. Whether you commented every chapter, or enjoyed lurking. Whether you've been here from the start, or just stumbled you way in. Please let me know, and just one more time, thank you all!