Hoseok's POV  (the ending my sister preferred.)

He wakes up unusually early, eyes still tired but sleep evades. Next to him is a small ball of warmth curled into his side. Hoseok combs through his blonde tresses with his fingers, careful not wake up their daughter, Hyosung. She was a light sleeper much like Hoseok himself.

The day is too young when he settles down for his coffee. His legs folding under him on the couch in their sun room. The clear glass slightly frosted by the morning dew. He would never get used to it. The view of the forests makes him feel like he’s in a fairy tail where he’s going on a walk to deliver cookies to his grandmother. It’s thrilling too because before twilight, it looks like all kinds of stuff could be lurking within the shadowy depths.

“Ma,” a muffled voice calls out from the doorway.

Hoseok looks to see short pudgy fingers wrapped around the doorway frame as dark eyes sparkle with interest. Somewhere along the way, Hoseok became Ma but never mama or eomma while Hyunwoo was Appa.

Hoseok places his mug down and leans forward smiling, ”Morning princess.”

It’s all the motivation she needs, a giggle escaping as she rushes over. He picks her up and settles her into his lap, his fingers trying to tame the dark natural curls.

Hyosung would never come into this room on her own, it terrified her. Hoseok had to admit it took him some time too but the trees were beautiful. On the weekend, they wake up early and fill the bird feeder and wait inside the room to take pictures of all the different birds. It never failed to excite Hyosung and she ensures her father prints every picture and they paste them in her bird diary.

A wide yawn escapes and she slumps against her Ma’s chest, his arms coming to envelop her. She lets herself succumb to the warmth. It was still early or at least she thought so because the sun wasn’t out and Appa was fast asleep. She’s still tired but she doesn’t like leaving Ma alone.

“Let's go for ice cream after school,” Hoseok whispers into her hair.

Hyosung nod as she drifts off to sleep, Hoseok moving to cradle her against his chest. This wouldn’t be the first. She was prone to wake the minute he left the bed, he had thought he had escaped today but no such thing.

He doesn’t know if it is or just what he wants it to be but Hyunwoo is all he can see when he looks at the little girl’s face. She has plump cheeks that hang adorably on either side of her pouty lips, her eyes fine like her father’s but nose a bit sharper. He finds their quirky tendencies adorable, the way their eyes turn into dainty crescents when they’re genuinely smiling, how their bottom lips juts out when they’re in confusion. Hoseok loves it all and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to protect them.

That’s one of the reasons he insisted they move to Seongbuk-dong but he didn’t mention it to Hyunwoo. His husband was a softie, took their tranquillity for granted but Hoseok knows better. He doesn’t trust the act Minhyuk puts on and he wasn’t about to anytime soon. Their home was equipped with the best security system, it was influential area after all.

Hyunwoo may believe his past threat were empty and six years ago but Hoseok could never fully put it to rest. He watches Minhyuk like a hawk, ensuring that Hyosung safety is never compromised, not in general nor with Minhyuk.

-

November 21 2019 (during the divorce)

He takes the week off from work, his minded to clouded to be productive. His body has been straining under the weight of their decision and Hoseok just hopes they can weather the storm.

The news about the pregnancy had knocked the air out of his lungs. He didn’t know what to think. He didn’t know much about males getting pregnant, other than it was commonly accepted. He just thought that Hyunwoo was still sleeping with Minhyuk. That’s what had him frigid with anger. He knew Hyunwoo went home to his husband, he knew that he was the outsider but the thought Hyunwoo making love to another made his blood boil. He questioned that if it was anything, it wasn’t love. They were just ing.

He only simmered down when he saw the devastated expression painted on his lover’s face. His tan skin is dull, lips chapped and eyes hollow. Hyunwoo was always the perfection of health, he ate cleanly, worked out. Not from now but from their much younger days. He doesn’t say anything but Hyunwoo picked up on the distaste and explains. The relief has him crumpled into the weak chest of his lover. Hyunwoo had asked him what he would have done if he had been active in the conception and Hoseok said would stick by him no matter what.

He keeps telling himself that now as he waits in his apartment, constantly paging through the events that led up to this moment. Hyunwoo was busy with the divorce and that meant that there had to be a certain distance between them. There had to be sacrifices and Hoseok understood that. It didn’t make it easy. What they had wasn’t perfect and was going to be fairly damaged before it even belonged to them but it was more than enough.

He knew he would accept the child, even go as far as considering it his own. It was a fragment of Hyunwoo and Hoseok would cherish him or her as he cherished their father.

Still, that left just one doubt.

What if Hyunwoo backed out?

It had plagued him for the last few days. What if Hyunwoo decided to work things out with Minhyuk for the sake of the child. It wasn’t an unlikely case. Many wives had fallen pregnant to save their marriage and Minhyuk was no exception but Hoseok was no common . He had his name etched on Hyunwoo's heart years before he met Minhyuk.

He hears the door unlock and he knows, expectant eyes latch onto the door. Hyunwoo looks worst, his eyes now red and it breaks Hoseok’s heart.

“Baby,” he murmurs, arms open as he catches Hyunwoo weaken state.

He’s only seen Hyunwoo cry once before and that was just one or two stray tears shed when they first confessed to each other.

They fall together onto the unmade bed, Hyunwoo silently moulding himself to Hoseok’s shape. The world was cruel but then again so were they. This must be karma.

His voice is muffled by the white skin, ”He said he’s going to hurt the child.”

“What?” Hoseok stops the caressing, his palm lying flat on Hyunwoo’s back.

“He threatened to abort the child if I don’t cancel the divorce,”
Hoseok doesn’t know why but he thought like something like this would materialise.

He didn’t know Minhyuk but from the pregnancy issue, he could tell there was some crazy active. He was willing to do whatever it takes to protect their marriage, if only he knew his marriage was built egg shells.

“He won’t,” Hoseok says soothingly, ”He won’t.”

Hoseok knows he won’t.

Hyunwoo turns to look at him, his dull eyes painful.

“Ssh, listen, He’s willing to do whatever it takes to keep you. This child is the only reason you have to keep him in your life, he won’t kill it. Believe me,”

Hyunwoo falls asleep in that position, still dressed in his suit and dress shoes.

Hoseok understood crazy because he’s entertained it before. Being the product of an affair, his mother never fully got over his father. That didn’t stop her from marrying again and ruining another man’s life. Still, she would talk about his father all the time, going into fits of rage randomly just because Hoseok so happened to look like him. How shocking is it that he looked like his father. She blamed it all on him, it was his fault that she could never be truly free from him. He was the constant reminder and for the sake of her insanity, she would never let Hoseok go. In the end, it was the last thing his father had left her with and on her good days, she would cherish Hoseok like he was her life.
-

He wakes up the next morning around five, the sound of the shower filling the air. He had quite the peculiar dream and was certain for some reason that Hyunwoo’s child would be a girl. Amongst all the chaos, it brings a smile to his face. A little chubby Hyunwoo with pig tails.

Hyunwoo emerges looking every bit of a mess he was yesterday but at least there are no tears. Hoseok notices the drop in his weight, his hip bones more prominent as the abdomen falls flat and soft.

He looks at Hoseok before reaching for the cupboard. The now blonde, shuffles over and pulls him to the bed, removing the towel. He makes Hyunwoo lay down and he does so wordlessly. Hoseok’s hands, now covered in lotion comes to soothe the tan skin. They don’t have time but it feels good, Hyunwoo can’t protest.

Hoseok smiles as Hyunwoo’s eyes flutter closed,”I was thinking,”

Hyunwoo only hums.

“That you can use Minhyuk’s threat against him in court,” Hoseok’s put a fair amount of thought into it,”You should record him next time.”

“What if that sends him off the edge?” Hyunwoo questions, it was a fair possibility.

“It won’t,” Hoseok applies more pressure to the sole of his foot,”I told you, he won’t lose the one thing that ties you to him. I don’t think he’s stable. Present the recording and request a psychological evaluation. I know there’s some hidden crazy there. Coupled with the recording, the court won’t take him seriously. If you’re still scared, you can suggest that Minhyuk gets admitted into a nursing home. There’s plenty specialising in the care of mother and child. It would be pricey but I doubt that’s an issue.”

Hyunwoo answers after a good while, Hoseok waiting for his reaction, ”You put a lot of thought into this.”

He has, ”Well yeah. You were worried about the child. This is the best option. Minhyuk can be supervised within the facility and receive medical treatment for the child and himself.”

The smallest of a smile graces Hyunwoo’s lips and Hoseok feels a burst of happiness just at the sight, he leans forward and kisses him.

Hyunwoo looking up at him, ”Sometimes you scare me.”

“I should,” Hoseok jokes as he returns to the applying of the lotion.

-

April 9 2020

Hoseok came face to face with Minhyuk only a few day after the birth of Hyosung. The now lavender hair doesn’t recognise him and Hoseok prefers it this way. They’re too busy fusing over the child and Hyunwoo is on cloud nine.

Minhyuk doesn’t know a thing till now.

Hyunwoo steps out and comes around to open the door for Hoseok. From that distance, he can see Minhyuk’s gaze locked on them. It starts to make sense and Hoseok readies himself. They were taking Minhyuk to Hyunwoo’s parent’s house.

The elderly couple had easily accepted the story Hoseok sold them. After all, Hyunwoo and he were childhood friends, it wasn’t unlikely that he would come to his friend’s aid during difficult times.

Things had been strangely calm since Minhyuk gave birth. The only thing Hyunwoo focuses on is the child, their days spent shopping and preparing the nursery. They bought a house in Seongbuk-dong area with large glass panes and a beautiful view of open woods. It was perfect to raise a child.

That’s exactly what Hoseok intended to do.

Hyunwoo’s mother carries the child in their car, leaving Minhyuk to travel with them. At this moment, Hyunwoo’s parents introduce Hoseok as Hyunwoo’s childhood friends. Hoseok goes along, smiling politely and congratulating him on the baby. Minhyuk replies with a tight smile and dark eyes, he knows and Hoseok wants him to. They hadn’t spoken till this point, Hoseok was generally in the background, offering Hyunwoo support.

Hoseok takes the front seat as Minhyuk sits in the back.
The car ride is half an hour and filled tension. The radio thankfully counteracts the awkwardness until Louis Armstrong’s ‘what a wonderful world’ starts plays as a tribute to the oldies and Hyunwoo puts the radio off.

“Hey, I like that song,”Minhyuk complains but Hyunwoo’s mood is strangely dark.

“I don’t.”

The rest of the ride is silent, Hoseok casually turning to his lover. Hyunwoo had seemingly calmed down from that random burst of annoyance.

Finally, they reach the villa and Hyunwoo is quick to get out and unload the trunk.

Minhyuk, however, stays seated, his voice calm, ”You stole my husband,”

A small smile tugs at Hoseok’s lip as he unlocks the door, ”I know.”

Minhyuk watches as the blonde steps out of the car, stopping before he shuts the door and Hoseok ensures they make eye contact, ”If it’s any consolation, he was never yours to begin with.”

Hoseok is glad the ground rules have been set.

Hyunwoo is his as he was then and will always be. There’s nothing Minhyuk can do about that. No amount of fake smiles and empty words can change it.

It was all about the push and pull. If Minhyuk pushed too much, Hoseok was ever ready to pull him out of the game. He would keep him on a fine line, ready to burst when it was most convenient. At the end of the day, it was up to Minhyuk if he wanted to play nice. If not then Hoseok can’t be held responsible for his actions.

-

March 12 2015

The Son villa is ruffled with excitement, Hyosung running up and down in search of her belongings. She had spent the last two days at the villa with her grandparents and Minhyuk. It was a fun two days but she had the tendency to get crabby when she was away from home too long. Hence she was almost bursting with excitement when Hoseok’s car turns into the driveway.

“Ma!” she screeches at her grandparents and they tell her to wait for the car to at least park off.

Hoseok quickly envelops her little frame in a tight hug, pressing kisses to her round cheeks. She cuddles closer as her father picks her up.

“You’re spoiling her, Hoseok,” her grandmother says.

“It’s okay, I’m seeing my baby after such a long time,” Hoseok ruffles her curls.

They pack the car, Hoseok still carrying Hyosung. She’s reluctant to let go but she wants to go home and see papa, so she lets Ma buckle her in.

“You had fun?” Hoseok asks as he always does.

“Yep,”

“That's good,” Hoseok turns out of the driveway.

“Ma,” she calls out, continuing when he hums, ”What do other people call you?”

Hoseok furrows his brows,”My name, like how people call you Hyosung, people call me Hoseok. Like how gandma and grandpa does “

“So you're not other people's Ma,” she asks seriously.

“No, heaven no,” Hoseok laughs,”Just yours.”

That seems to please the little girl,”But Daddy doesn’t call you that.”

By daddy, she’s referring to Minhyuk.

“Oh,” Hoseok manages, ”What does he call me?”

“Some like Har-lit, I’m not sure how to says,” She says on confusion but Hoseok knows what word she’s referring too.

“You mean Harlot,” He corrects her.

“Yeah, that. What’s that?”

How was Hoseok supposed to answer and stay neutral, Hyunwoo would disapprove of him being blunt,”It’s a word you shouldn’t say.”

“Why is it a bad word? Why is daddy calling you a bad word?” she asks innocently

Because your daddy is a bastard.

“It’s not bad, princess,” Hoseok struggles to come up with something that sounds legitimate, ”It’s a word only adults can say.”

“Oh, so when I’m an adult I can say it,”

“Uhm” not exactly, ”You can but I prefer if you didn’t”

All in all, Hoseok finds it pretty amusing. Minhyuk wants unsupervised visitation but he’s sharing all this with Hyosung.

“Ma,” she calls out again.

“Yes,” Hoseok answers her promptly.

“Do you have any CDs, like flat round shiny things,” she explains.

“Yes , I know what CDs are Princess. I got a few, why?”

“I think Daddy needs new music. He keeps playing the same song over and over. He knows it word for word. I don’t like it very much,” she talks absent mindedly as she digs through the cubby.

“What song is it that?” he asks curiously.

“I don’t know something birds, I know there’s birds. Daddy can sing the whole thing, I only know the end part,”

“Sing for me,” Hoseok nudges her playfully, ”Let’s hear the princess sing.”

She giggles before giving in, her voice raising a pitch as she sings,” and I think to myself, what a wonderful world.”

Hoseok feels his blood run cold, his jaw getting tight.

“Ma what’s wrong, was it bad?” she asks worriedly.

“No, you were amazing. Just don’t sing that song for your father or listen to it. Okay?” he may sound a little harsh but there’s a small smile on his face.

“Okay,” she answers softly.

“How’s about we go for ice cream?” he offers and Hyosung jumps at the idea.

-

May 5 2025

“Back then I just knew he had lavender,” Hoseok reads out loud sarcastically, ”He should have mentioned how he coloured his hair the exact same colour.”

Hyunwoo walks out of the bathroom, now in casual clothes and snatches the magazine out of his husband’s hand,” I told you not to read this, didn’t I?”

“I know but still,” Hoseok pouts as he falls back on their monoprint bedding, the grey stone ceiling staring back at him.

Hyunwoo crawls on top of him, caging him in,”He’s just trying to defend himself.”

Hoseok knows exactly what he’s doing,”You mean look innocent so he can get out of the supervised visitation.”

Hyunwoo just pecks him, ”Maybe it’s okay now. It’s been six years and I know you say we can never be too careful but it was one threat. We can’t hold it against him for his whole life.”

Hoseok doesn’t think so but he doesn’t say. He pulls Hyunwoo in closer for a deep kiss.

They were being bad, supper was ready and Hyosung was waiting for them. Hyunwoo sneaks in another kiss and another till Hoseok is mush underneath him, into his mouth.

“Appa,”

Hoseok hears their daughter’s voice and immediately shoves Hyunwoo off with inhuman strength.

The other is left on his side, slightly stunned at the suddenness.

“Supper,” Hoseok exclaims, a blush on his cheeks,”Lets go eat.”

Hyosung gives her Appa one last weird look before following his Ma, her pigtails swaying as she walks.

Hyunwoo sighs and gets up to join them, their chatter can be heard all the way from the large dining room. He looks down for his slippers to see the magazine laying on the ground, his ex-husband’s bright smile staring at him. He groans as he bends to pick it up, tossing it in the bin on his way out.

May 15 2025

Minhyuk senses him before he even makes his presence know, ”What do you want?”

Hoseok just shrugs as he takes a seat on the nearby sofa, ”Nothing.”

Minhyuk knows better.

They’re at Hyunwoo’s parent’s villa for his mother’s birthday. The enjoyed a picnic earlier, Minhyuk and Hoseok careful to avoid each other. Minhyuk keeps his distance from Hyunwoo. He’s been silently enduring Hoseok’s hushed snide remarks and the signs are starting to show. Today was a good day and he prefers to keep it drama free.

In the end, it wasn’t Hyunwoo that is at the heart of the drama but Hyosung. Minhyuk’s breath catching as she runs to her father and the person she insists on calling Ma. Hoseok’s well aware of what he was doing and it was common knowledge that Hyosung preferred him more, sometimes even over Hyunwoo. He wanted to make a point to not only to Minhyuk but to Hyunwoo’s family. Hyosung had the perfect family with them and Minhyuk was just a nuisance.

A nuisance Hoseok had been putting up with for the sake of their daughter but he’s starting to grow tired.

Now with Minhyuk requesting unsupervised visitation, Hoseok is ready to bring him back in line.

Minhyuk turns his attention back to the television, he’s sure everyone else is asleep.

“You watch the crime channel Minhyuk?” Hoseok asks, his eyes vaguely watching the late night sitcom.

“No,” Minhyuk calms himself, ”I don’t.”

“I do, I like it. I like crimes drama too, CSI, criminal minds, stuff like that,” Hoseok continues.

“Why are you telling me this,” Minhyuk asks as he switches off the television.

There’s nothing but darkness between them, neither of them can see each other.

“I’m getting there,” Hoseok says carefully, ”You see I watched this one episode of CSI. Some time ago, long time ago. It starts off with this black guy sprawled out on the bed, . I thought he was dead, a lot episodes start off with the body. Apparently, he wasn’t dead. He was just unconscious.”

“What are you talking about,” Minhyuk asks harshly, now sitting up straight.

“Wait, so they figure it out or the chick comes forward. Apparently, there’s this machine you can use on a corpse to get them to e.” Hoseok says smugly.

He can feel the hairs on his arm stand up, the atmosphere now alive.

“You know what I’m talking about? I mean you would, you're a nurse,” Hoseok knows.

“I don’t,” Minhyuk shoots back, his voice strained.

“I mean that’s how you got yourself pregnant right?”

“Hyunwoo had preserved,” Minhyuk is quick to explain.

“Bull, he just said that because he didn’t know how else to explain what happened. I mean you sodomised him,” Hoseok says exasperatedly.

Hyunwoo had mentioned the occasion to him once, not too long ago, after a night of drinking, begging Hoseok to never bring it up again. How peculiar, the one thing his husband could remember about the ordeal is the very song his daughter sang for him in the car.

There was rage, there was fury but Hoseok knows how to play his cards wisely. There were little traps that he had set up, ready to put Minhyuk back into his place or wipe him out.

“I mean, do you think about the act when you listen to that song. Was violating Hyunwoo wonderful?” Hoseok raises his voice just a bit,”I bet you got off on it, touched yourself to his unconscious body.”

“Shut up,” Minhyuk growls and Hoseok can feel the danger,”I did it to save us, to save us from you.”

“Well,” Hoseok gets up,” You failed. If you want your dirty secret to remain a secret, you better start getting comfortable with supervised visitation because that’s all you’ll have. Get used to the little that you have or I’ll leave you with nothing.”

With that, Hoseok returns to his bedroom. Slipping into his covers, he reaches for his husband but Hyosung is in the way. In the end, he manages to reach for Hyunwoo’s hand underneath the blanket.

He had no intention of revealing the truth.

The truth would devastate his husband. He wasn’t about to do that. Hyunwoo was better off living with the confusion than knowing to what lengths his crazy ex-husband had gone to keep him. Bringing it up would increase the chances of someone else finding out about it. He can’t risk that for his husband’s pride and dignity. The only person other than him to know was Minhyuk and both of them are going to be taking the secret to their graves.

Matters weren’t ideal but Hoseok knew from the beginning, this wasn’t going to be easy. He had to look at the bigger picture and whether he liked it or not, removing Minhyuk would only work to hurt Hyosung.

Constantly staying ahead of the game was exhausting. He had worked up quite an arsenal of evidence against Minhyuk. A number of recordings of all the he spoke to Hyosung, little bits of information the cleaner at his apartment had shared, testimonials that he had been a nuisance to the people that had moved into Hyunwoo’s last apartment. He just needed to be kept in line, that way everyone is happy.

Hyosung knows her three fathers love her and Minhyuk knows he’s just an addition to their already happy family.

Hoseok can live with that.