"Finally, a moment of peace!"

Minhyun shook his head as he stacked the magazines on the floor neatly, returning them to the space under their coffee table. Hyunbin had raised both hands into the air with a soft cheer, before proceeding to stretch himself across the three-seater couch like a lazy cat, head turned to observe the elder's actions. The singer continued to bustle around with so many things to do, such as keeping books and scattered figurines, re-arranging the messed up DVDs on the racks and more. Their apartment was in a state of mess, messier than Hyunbin's occasional shedding of his clothes from the doorway to their shared master bedroom, or the giant's clumsy nature of knocking over a stacked pile of notes. This time, however, the culprit wasn't Hyunbin, but his own sister's children: two kids of four and six years old, running amok in their apartment for a period of 36 hours.

His niece and nephew had stayed over for a night when his sister went out of Seoul for a business trip, and since Minhyun had a rare series of breaks, he had agreed to babysit them. Hyunbin too, having a short vacation after an extremely stressful fashion week where he was selected as the main model for two shows, not counting the others he had to walk, was surprisingly ( or maybe unsurprisingly ) thrilled and open to the idea of having children over. Minhyun knew the younger always had a soft spot for children, in their cute waddling and hopeful smiles, but he never thought to see that level of excitement on Hyunbin's face when he had so hesitantly brought up the topic; he had pulled one of the largest smiles ever, long eyes widening slightly as a twinkle of interest lit up in his eyes, a series of 'when, when!' raised.

Since then he had been getting himself prepared, even purchasing some toys for the kids that he's only heard in passing and seen a couple of photos on Instagram. The elder had thought it was pretty cute, actually, seeing how Hyunbin fussed about random babysitting tips. And after the children arrived, Hyunbin was all pumped and hyper, playing board games with them and offering piggybacks, reading bedtime stories and helping them prepare the food in nice bite-sizes. And it just dawned on Minhyun that his lover had really, really liked kids, because even in just the span of 36 hours, Hyunbin had shown nothing but b fatherly love.

"You say that now, but you were almost crying when noona came to claim the kids."
"...I did not."

The annoyed pout did not go ignored as Minhyun laughed, straightening up from his kneeling position as he dusted his knees, then his hands. The model had comfortably propped himself up with an elbow, beckoning for his lover with the curl of his fingers. Despite the teasing arch of an brow, Minhyun dropped himself on the couch anyway, letting the long arms pull him down so they laid side by side, cramped up and snugly against each other like two pieces of puzzle put together. He shifted a little, their legs overlapping each others' as he found the most comfortable spot before speaking up.

"Thank you, Hyunbin-ah."
"...What for?"
"Spending your free time with my niece and nephew."
"Heh, hyung. They're pretty much my niece and nephew too."
"Hmm, true. Soohyuk adores you too."
"Really? As expected, even kids fall for my charms."
"Well, you're the only one adult that got whipped around by the kid so easily, I suppose."
"...I'd pretend I didn't hear that and just take the compliment, hyung."
"If you insist."

He grinned in amusement, a matching one with the younger, eyes curling into crescents. There's affection in Hyunbin's spoken words, and Minhyun pondered for a moment whether the affection stemmed from his adoration to children or simply, him. Perhaps both, he guessed, nuzzling into the large hands that came to cup his cheeks gently as Hyunbin went on about an episode in the day while he ran out to grab food, something about Soyeon falling on top of Soohyuk or something like that. He had listened, registering half of the story in between lazy blinks and slow nods. Still a smile remained on his face, because the younger's adoration for them was too infectious, his joy slipping onto Minhyun's soft gaze and occasional chuckle. Hyunbin's palms were warm and comforting as his thumb rubbed along his cheeks; at the age of thirty, Minhyun realised that these same beautiful hands were perfectly capable of holding the hands of their own children.

"You...must really like kids."
"Of course! They're cute, don't you think?"
"Mmhmm. ... And you could have had them. Your own kids."

Children. It's a topic Minhyun avoided raising, a topic they often danced around each other on. While not to Hyunbin's extent, Minhyun too held adoration and affections for kids, but it simply was not in their hands to have one. Same- couples could not adopt children in South Korea, and even their relationship was a taboo to society, unrecognized, rather laid forgotten. This was especially so considering how both of them were public figures. The dates they had never went past the slightest graze of each other's fingers, or the occasional shoulder bumps when walking down the road with shared glances. Besides their loved ones and close circles, they kept to themselves, limited within the comforts and confines of their apartment and Minhyun's private work studio. 

Distance was expected of them in public arenas, and children was never able to make it into the equation.

He looked away, averting the straight gaze directed at him. Even without looking at him, Minhyun could imagine those full lips pulled taut into a line to express his displeasure. It's living together for years - close to a decade - that event the subtlest change in the air, in the weight of the silence, that Minhyun could detect just what the younger was feeling and vice versa. There was a long stagnant pause, before Hyunbin spoke out quietly. 

"And with who? How?"
"Well-"
"It's not an actual question, hyung."
"...I know."
"..."
"...Hyunbin-ah."
"The only children I'd like to have are yours. Ours."

Minhyun sighed softly. He didn't want to fight, not over this, but even then he couldn't help the nagging feeling at the back of his mind. His hand moved to hold the hands on his cheeks, thumb rubbing along his skin. In the locked contact he could see the younger's eyes softening, tension easing off the corner of his mouth.

"But, I'm a guy. You know what I mean?"
"...I know. And so be it."
"You have no regrets?"
"No. Not when you're here, Hwang Minhyun."

His heart couldn't help but feel the slightest flutter, warm butterflies appearing in his tummy at the sincerity of his words. It's the way he called his name, the way he spoke with absolute resolution, and the raven could feel the tips of his ears running pink. It's love, he knew, reflected in his features and through the warmth of their closely pressed bodies, with Hyunbin pulling him close with one hand around his waist. It's the feeling of being where he belonged, as cheesy as it sounded. Cupping the sides of Hyunbin's face, Minhyun managed a small smile. The younger returned with one of his own, before sneaking a quick kiss to Minhyun's fingers.

"You? How about you, hyung? You don't regret it, do you?"

A flash of worry hidden in the depth of Hyunbin's eyes did not go unnoticed, not when his smile drooped and his eyes widened. It's his belated consideration, the sudden realization that Minhyun's opinion was equally as important. The singer always found that endearing, because something just never change, like his wavering eyes and held breathe, as if worried that Minhyun would say otherwise. He almost did, just so as to tease his lover, but the raven decide to cut him a break this time. So with the curl of an affectionate smile, Minhyun leaned in, half tugging and pulling Hyunbin's face all the same to land a firm, lasting kiss.

'Never.'

a/n: this is another spur of the moment piece, and i've been writing several different stories these days. hopefully, one of them would be ready soon. i'm not sure if i loved how this ended, but i think i'm overall glad with this. once again, my twitter is at mhb_sng so feel free to find me there or send me a cc. if you're feeling generous, you can donate me a coffee over here as well. please leave me any comments!^^