Ewon

Five hours after Jongup's bombshell solution to the Wooyoung situation, Ewon was still angry enough to punch out Nichkhun's throat. It wasn't that Nichkhun was interested in being the little boy's father that was making his blood boil, but that Doctor Perfect didn't think he could be a good father to Wooyoung.

Over the last six months, Ewon and Nichkhun had spent a lot of time together by default. By default, he meant that since Junho and Jun were coupled up, that left him partnered with Nichkhun since both men were single. They usually sat next to each other when the group went out for apps and a beer.

They'd even shared a hotel room during the spring vacation they'd gone on in April to a water park resort up in the mountains. The reason Ewon had agreed to sharing was that the resort had three connecting rooms available and Hwang Jay wanted to have everyone close to him. Ewon had agreed to make Jay happy.

Ewon did a lot of things to make other people happy. Growing up in foster care and then with adoptive parents did that to a person. At least it did that to Ewon. He'd been told often that he was simply a guest in the various homes he'd lived in. The key to staying a guest was kissing a lot of and doing exactly what was asked of him.

He'd been adopted at thirteen for the free labor and free government money in the form of a welfare check and food stamps. At least that's what his father had told him one night when he'd been drunk on cheap beer.

The family owned a barely surviving dairy farm out in western Jeju. Instead of skateboarding or playing video games like other kids his age, Ewon had spent all of his free time working on the farm. He'd worked such long hours he didn't even have time for homework.

It wasn't long before Ewon had been failing all of his classes. It was his freshman History teacher who'd turned Ewon's life around for the better. Lee Hyori-sunsengnim gave him some hints and tricks on how he could get in some extra study time and Ewon's grades had started to rebound. It was because of her love and constant encouragement that he'd been inspired to be a teacher.

"Hey, can I share your blanket?" Nichkhun was carrying two bottles of beer.

The fireworks were going to start in ten minutes and everyone had spread out blankets in Jun's backyard to watch them. Nichkhun was the last person Ewon wanted to talk to at the moment, but it would be rude to refuse him and besides, he'd brought beer "Sure." 

Nichkhun passed him a bottle and settled himself next to Ewon on the blanket "I'm sorry I was such a earlier."

Ewon bit his tongue to keep from telling Nichkhun just how deeply his words had cut. Now wasn't the time or place to set Nichkhun straight on just how qualified Ewon was to be a father.

He hadn't told any of his friends how he'd grown up. When the subject of his family came up, Ewon would always say that he wasn't in touch with his parents anymore, which wasn't a lie. The last time he'd seen his adoptive parents was at his graduation ceremony, which coincided with his eighteenth birthday.

"Apology accepted." Ewon ground out from between his gritted teeth.

Nichkhun burst out laughing "That wasn't very convincing."

"We're at a Fourth of July party with our friends. I don't want this to turn into an episode of Cops."

"Local elementary school teacher and prominent pediatrician caught in brawl. Film at eleven." Nichkhun sounded like a television news anchor.

Ewon snorted and cracked a smile. As much as he wanted to punch Nichkhun in his smug nose, he had to admit Nichkhun was trying to apologize "Orange jumpsuits would be a bad look on both of us."

"Speak for yourself. I look fab in everything." 

"Of course you do, Doctor Perfect." Ewon mumbled.

Nichkhun frowned "Why do you call me that?"

"Do you own a mirror?" Ewon shook his head. Nichkhun had classic Thai royalty looks, with his dark hair and piercing black eyes contradicting his white skin. Nichkhun was several inches taller than his own 5'10" stature and his body reminded Ewon of a Roman sculpture. Not that he'd spent a lot of time checking Nichkhun out when they dressed in swim trunks at the water park during spring break.

Nichkhun rolled his eyes "I want to talk to you about Wooyoung."

"Smooth way to change the subject." Ewon felt his stomach tighten with nerves.

"I couldn't tell you what I knew about Wooyoung." Nichkhun sounded guilty.

"Despite what you think of me, I understand confidentiality. I would never ask you to compromise your ethics or Wooyoung's privacy."

"You have no idea what I think of you." Nichkhun jumped a bit when the first firework rocketed into the sky, exploding in a shower of white.

Ewon bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing at the tiny crack in Doctor Perfect's armor "Uh, you made how you feel about me perfectly clear a few short hours ago. You said I couldn't take care of myself, let alone a child." he didn't want to put too fine a point on it, but those words were going to sting for a long time. 

Nichkhun sighed.

"Not that it's any of your business but, I've been on my own since I was eighteen. I worked a full-time job and took a full-time class load at Seoul University. If I couldn't take care of myself, the streets would have gobbled me up a long time ago." just like they did to my mother, Ewon added silently to himself.

He wasn't going to tell Nichkhun, but there was so much of his younger self that he saw in Wooyoung. Their mothers had both been unable to get off heroin and the drug claimed them both too young. Just like Woyoung, he didn't know who his biological father was and Ewon wasn't interested in searching for him.

"I had no idea." Nichkhun shifted a bit closer to Ewon when the next firework blasted into the air.

There was a lot that Doctor Perfect had no idea about and if Ewon could manage to keep his perpetually running motor-mouth quiet for once in his life, the good doctor would never know.

Nichkhun

It wasn't that Nichkhun was afraid of fireworks. He just didn't like the explosive sound they made when they, well, exploded.

Jumping like a scared kitten every time a firework burst across the sky was not helping his apology to Ewon. He'd known he'd said the worst thing possible when he'd told Ewon he couldn't take care of a child. Nichkhun still had no idea why those words had carelessly flown out of his mouth.

Ewon wasn't a bad sort. Most of the time. Nichkhun could attest Ewon was a great guy when he was sleeping. God, that sounded y even in his head.

Jung Ewon was a good friend. Nichkhun had no doubt about that. Jun and Junho thought of him as a brother. When Ewon wasn't running his mouth and saying inappropriate things, he'd been a good friend to Nichkhun.

The guy just rubbed him the wrong way. Nichkhun couldn't explain it better than that and if he were honest with himself he didn't want to try.

"I've been Wooyoung's doctor since he was born." Nichkhun's nerves were all over the place. He'd never broken doctor/patient confidentiality before and it wasn't something he was taking lightly. There was too much at stake with Wooyoung for Ewon not to know the full story "He was born, umm..."

"He was born addicted to heroin." Ewon said quietly "I know."

"How?" Ewon knowing about Wooyoung took all the pressure off Nichkhun. He wasn't going to break his oath after all.

"Most people don't give a second thought to spilling their guts to teachers. Your hair would stand on end if you knew half of the things parents and caretakers have told me over the years. I don't know if they see me as some kind of social worker or some kind of confessional." 

Ewon shrugged, staring up at the sky as more fireworks burst red, white and blue overhead "Wooyoung's aunt told me all about what it was like the day he was born. She said he was in an incubator and trembling all over." Ewon sniffled and then cleared his throat.

Nichkhun shivered against Ewon. He'd seen babies who were born addicted to drugs and it wasn't a pretty picture. Those babies were, more often than not, born with low birth weights. It was common for their lungs to be under-formed "I don't mean to sound snobbish."

"But..." Ewon turned his full attention to Nichkhun.

"But, children who are born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome will have life-long challenges. They suffer from learning disabilities, possible attention deficit disorder and they're more prone to developing a drug habit later in life. Combine that with Wooyoung's Gender Dysphoria and it's a lot to deal with for any parent."

Ewon nodded "I've done the research too, Nichkhun. I know what challenges Wooyoung would face in the future. Kids who grow up bouncing from home to home and family to family develop their own unique set of problems. They have a hard time trusting people and struggle in adult relationships. Like you said, it's going to be hard enough to raise a child with the challenges you presented. What I want to do is be that soft place to fall for Wooyoung. The one constant in his life that he can count on no matter what. Will it be hard to raise him as a single father? Yes, it will, but I'm up to the task." 

Nichkhun could hear the conviction in Ewon's voice. He had no doubt the teacher had done his homework, no pun intended, on Wooyoung's set of circumstances. Dealing with Wooyoung and working a full-time job would present a difficult set of circumstances for a single father.

It had been shocking enough when Kim Jongup suggested that he and Ewon adopt Wooyoung together. The attorney had outlined how two parents were better than one before launching into a succinct speech detailing his and Ewon's strengths and how they'd blend well together.

He'd still been in the process of absorbing how compatible he and Ewon would be as fathers when Jongup had dropped a bigger bombshell. He suggested they should get married, pointing out a married gay couple would have a better chance to adopt Wooyoung than a single gay man.

Nichkhun had agreed with Jongup when he'd talked about how it would be easier to co-parent the child. He'd been totally on board with the idea of a joint adoption. It wasn't totally unheard of for unmarried couples to adopt a child. Nichkhun had been just about convinced that Jongup's crazy idea could work when he'd suggested they get married.

"I can't believe I'm about to ask, but what do you think of us adopting Wooyoung together?" Nichkhun was curious to hear Ewon's take on Jongup's suggestion.

Ewon laughed "I have to admit, I didn't see that coming. I thought Jongup would offer his professional services when it came to Wooyoung, but I never imagined he would think we would make good parents together." 

Nichkhun had to admit their reaction to Jongup's suggestion was one of the first things they'd been in total agreement about "I think he's right. We could co-parent successfully, but I just can't get behind the idea of us needing to be married to do it." Nichkhun cleared his throat "Co-parent, I mean." why would Ewon think he meant anything else?

"That's where I disagree. I think getting married is the perfect solution. We could be with Wooyoung all the time and not have to worry about carving up his time between us."

Nichkhun felt his stomach drop like he was riding a roller coaster "You think we should get married?" of course Ewon was continuing the trend of them constantly being at opposite ends of an issue "Why? We can barely stand to be in the same room with each other. Wouldn't it be worse for Wooyoung to have two parents who hate each other?"

"We don't hate each other. At least I don't hate you..." Ewon trailed off.

He didn't hate Ewon. Nichkhun just wasn't sure the two of them together was what would be best for Wooyoung "I don't hate you either, Ewon." Nichkhun was about to elaborate on their inability to get along when he decided to just shut up.

"That's good to know." Ewon agreed with a smile "If it helps me give Wooyoung a stable, loving home, I can be man enough to get along with you."

"You mean if it helps us give Wooyoung a stable home." Nichkhun snorted. If he was going to follow Ewon's lead, he was going to need to cut the and stop saying things just to poke back at him.

"I think Wooyoung is worth a conversation with Jongup about how we could do this."

Nichkhun shook his head "I agree with you about talking to Jongup, but I'm still not sold on the idea of getting married." it wasn't much, but he and Ewon agreed on two things today.  He'd call that a win.