The colossal hall glimmered with aqua blue lights shining on the masses occupying its vicinity. Amidst the sound of clatter of utensils, merged voices, a slow melody playing in the background, one conversation echoed like the star of the evening. It was not the fact that it included both the grooms but the fact that glee seemed to be emitting right from the lean frame of a boy in aqua blue tux and honey brown shoulder-length hair done in an elegant pinned-parting to one side. With him stood a much taller man in a teal tux with a pastel blue boutonniere attached to it and a sleek hairstyle to the side. Taemin held his corsage decorated hand to air and breathed mischievously.  

"Uh yeah- yes he's always like that." He voiced with a hint of mockery in his tone, throwing a glance at the disbelieving face of his husband, Choi Minho, before pursing his lips to conceal his urge to laugh at the betrayed look Minho wore. The guest, Mr.Cho, one of Minho's batchmate bounced an impish pair of eyes between the grooms and prepared to laugh when Taemin finally broke his facade. Minho was quick to negate, dismissing his wife's claims in thin air with a wave and a nervous chuckle.

"Wha-hey! When was I ever shoving my habits down your throat?" He turned to eye Taemin, who looked like he was about to start doing a victory dance on seeing the oscar-winning face Minho was giving him. Promptly angling away, Minho pointed his index at the male beside him and continued to cackle with his eyebrows raised. "He's lying!" 

"Ah-no I am not. Didn't you ask me to put my sneakers in the cupboard when I left them lying on the mat?" The devious boy wiggled his eyebrows in a humorous fashion and immediately broke down into an eyesmile when Minho angled his eyebrows in. 

"Well that is basic manners, come on Tae!" The taller of the two tittered with a tone which screamed duh.

It was true though, Taemin did like to exaggerate stuff in front of Minho's guests and see the man turn into a betrayed mess when the boy did not look like he wanted to lose in anyway. He was doing pretty well at getting on Minho's nerves for the past hour he had spent introducing him to his mates and higher officers. Being told that marrying someone who was serving in the country's military, more specifically army, Taemin knew what he got himself into when he said 'Yes, idiot, I do.'. It all meant he was supposed to be well-mannered, he still didn't see how, disciplined, punctual and all kinds of boring things Taemin couldn't care less about. He had seen the older male referred to as each and every single adjective he had in mind and it thrilled him to be with someone who was the complete opposite of him. 

However, it also meant he might have to change, or get used to the taller male's weird habits. Like waking up at 6 for no reason, that was what he thought. Keeping his things arranged, Taemin was messy. Polite and conserved, well, Taemin was not even....close? Punctual to the point it agitated the living hell out of Taemin. However one thing just terrified him to his core, that was, leaving for months with little to no contact but that could be worried for in the future, not right now. 

"I see it is going to be difficult getting accustomed to the life of Choi Minho." Mr.Son pointed out with an eyesmile of his own and generously squeezed Minho's forearm in reassurance of the nightmare dressed in daydream beside him. 

"I doubt that-"

"Yes I am sure." Taemin quickly piped in with a cheeky smile and Minho was forced to whip his head to the shorter one and gawk at the level of disrespect in a day. 

"Wait what? We talked this through, you can be as messy as you want ok? I am not gonna lecture you on your mere existence." Minho drew out a short sigh, shaking his head back to Mr.Son. "Hyung, he is clearly exaggerating this whole point." 

"I can tell." The oldest one in the trio was quick to affirm and throw a knowing gaze at Taemin, who was internally dying of laughter at this point. "Now he is laughing." Minho's sulky eyes fell on the younger, who was covering his smile behind the back of his hand and suffering alone. "Well see you around then!" Taemin gave a short bow, mid way through doing a somersault from the chortles threatening to escape his throat and choked out.

"Take care, hyung!"

"Yah Lee Taemin-" Minho grabbed his arm with a furrow of eyebrows and was welcomed by the sight of a red-faced Taemin. Well, he was swift to realise his mistake and cackled his way into pulling the bridge of Taemin's button-nose. "Choi Taemin. Don't make that face, I won't hold back." The boy quickly turned into a giggling mess.

"What won't you hold back hm?" With his hands tied before him, the younger brushed his shoulder against the older's forearm and rocked back and forth on his feet with a foolish grin on his face. Instead of replying, Minho dove in to grab the soft bottoms of his lover, earning a yelp. "Min-hey! I demand you to keep your hands to yourself for now, we are surrounded by army officers for Pete's sake." With a faint dust of pink on his cheeks, Taemin forcefully removed Minho's large palm from his and jutted out his bottom lip in pure annoyance. "And now I am hungry, great!" 

"For what? My di-"

"Hello, Mr.Choi." Minho almost choked on air when he heard an all too familiar voice to his side. As if struck by lightening, he twisted his body to completely face the owner of the grave voice and gave a small salute. Taemin cocked his head forward to catch the glimpse of the grey haired man with a crew-cut and dipped his head the lowest he could without looking like an idiot. 

"Uh- Sir." Minho turned to Taemin and nudged his elbow into his ribs."Taemin, meet Mr.Park, I told you about him-" As if on cue, Taemin gave the quickest nod he could muster and plastered on a toothy grin."Sir this is-"

"Taemin, I know, Minho. I didn't know you were marrying a kid?" Came out a very calm voice as a wrinkled smile stretched on his experienced face. Taemin could tell by the way he gave a minimalistic bow and the mere aura that this man was no joke. He was so engrossed in observing and staring at the man with admiration clearly pronounced on his face that he did not catch the amusement on Minho's face and a cackle they both shared. In the end, his elderly eyes fell on Taemin and questioned rather straight-forwardly. "How old are you Taemin-ssi?" 

"I-m-I'm..." With a mixture of contortion and twists on Minho's face, the man proceeded to place a hand on the small of Taemin's back and patted it gently. He could tell that the frail male was suddenly anxious and self-conscious in front of the Admiral but the reason as to why the devil was shook remained hidden. "Two......." Two? What was Taemin on about? At this point Minho had lost faith in trusting anything that came out from between those plush lips.

"There is no need to be nervous, goodness. He is a dork." Minho dished out a nervous chuckle and ran a palm down Taemin's clothed back to bring his wandering soul back into his body. "You're two?" It was Minho's turn to gag.

"Uh- no sir, he meant twenty but he could never say more than the two part..." There was an intense lock of eyes between the Admiral and Taemin but all Minho could perceive was that Taemin had, in fact, a lot to say but no words came out of his mouth. Minho raised both his eyebrows at the boy and called rather softly. "Taemin...?" He witnessed the younger blink and turn a moderate pink as he fumbled with his fingers, trying his best to choke words out from the lump forming in his throat. 

"20, yes. Sorry I just- I am- I can't function around too well-groomed and organized people-" With an inward facepalm, the man on cue decided to jump in to properly decode the peculiar way his wife was acting, only to be cut half way in by a raise in mid-air and a bubbly chuckle by the old man. 

"He means-"

"Minho there is no need to translate everything" Mr.Park averted his eyes back to the fluttering male and broke into a wide grin. "I must say you're gonna take a while to get used to the whole different world of 'organized people'."

"I have a lot to learn hehe." Taemin piped in, sounding extremely nervous for the usual self Minho was used to seeing. It did bother him to some extent to see the male shying away like a little girl. He couldn't lie, for a second there, there was this rooting urge to feel jealous of his senior for catching the feminine male's attention that way. He decided not to let it crumble is resolve of letting Taemin see through his emotions, which the boy seemed to be a professional at, and gave heed to what the grey-haired man was uttering. 

"Don't worry, Minho is going to take care of everything. He's a highly responsible young man!" A throaty chortle escaped Minho's lips and he was forced to shade his embarrassment by hanging his head low but it was not for long, for, the younger decided it was enough of the nervous facade and was back on clawing at Minho's self-control.

"Young? I don't see the young part, sir." Taemin replied, simply, looking so sinfully innocent, it creeped Minho out. The older stared with wide eyes, expecting an uncomfortable feeling from his senior but the exact same feeling came crawling up the back of his spine when Taemin did not halt there. 

"Wha-"

"He is in his late twenties. He is going to be all saggy within a few years!" 

"I thought you were nervous a while ago?" A hint of disbelief and betrayal was all it took to keep Taemin going. He whipped his head up at the taller male and constricted his eyebrows to paint a picture of how serious he was about the entire concept of Minho getting 'saggy', the only thing the latter could bring himself to terms with was the fact Taemin looked absolutely stunning despite the impish words leaving his mouth towards his doom. Mr.Park was left in awe at the sight of Taemin elaborating himself. It was not the praise he was trying to choke out, but the fact that the boy looked so dangerously unaware of the miseries his husband's job would bring him that it pained to think ahead of time. To think of the time or moment when something might be stolen from him, it was not a stamp on his destiny but it was a lingering threat Mr.Park could not neglect.

"Mr.Park has this...this aura, you see-" 

"Oh Taemin-ssi! There is no need- I'll take my leave now. It was a pleasure meeting such a bright person." Mr.Park displayed his wrinkly smile for the last time and breathed out, putting an end to the trail of thoughts regarding the soldier and his newly found happiness and ushered his wife from nearby."See you back in the uniform, Minho. Take care of the little fellow." 

"You better take care of me or I know who to ring up." 

Life is cruel. 

They were back in their shared house after they had bid goodbye to all their friends, whether forcefully or willingly, captured memorable moments in a camera, wailed on Taemin's designer tux for God knows what reason because according to the younger groom, he was not going to enlist in army yet. Having carried Taemin from his Tesla all the way to their room, Minho had all the positions he'd plunge into Taemin in his mind but just as the eagerness took root in his , faster was it thrown out of the window when the younger boy plopped chest down on the bed, spreading his arms and legs to cover the entire king-sized bed. Standing by the edge, Minho batted muddled eyes at the younger, who had begun to whine.

"Why do people lie about this whole wedding night concept? I don't see the appeal-" Taemin supported his face on his palms and blinked up at the hovering older, who was looking even more befuddled. "I am soooo tired! I can barely move my limbs." With a rather exaggerated sigh, Taemin buried his cheek in the white duvet and ascended unsure eyes at Minho. Why was the man standing by the bed and having a staring showdown with his , he knew very well why but pretended to play dumb. After a moment of a heated eye contact, Minho reverted his eyes back to the article of his interest and dipped low to squeeze the clothed flesh with a knowing smirk.

"Should I warm you up?" 

"No thank you! I might break if we do anything ual right now." Taemin blushed, flipping on his back to halt Minho's advances. He noticed from the corner of his eyes as Minho took his black leather tassel shoes off followed by his socks and then went for Taemin's dangling feet. There was a kind of expression on the older's face that the younger couldn't exactly translate to disappointment, rather mock. 

"That's sad, I was so excited about finally getting to grab that all I want." After peeling the shorter male's socks off his feet and tracking them along with his shoes back to the shoe box, Minho shuffled back to the bed and took his tux off, hanging it away neatly, Taemin's eyes following his every move. No lies, Taemin felt a sudden rush of adrenaline when the bed dipped by Minho's weight and the latter towered over him, finally dumping his entire weight onto the lean one of the flimsy male and slipped a hand down to grab the boy by his plump clothed buttcheeks, forcing him over his torso. 

"Y-yah!" Blood rushed to Taemin's cheeks, giving them a soft pink glow, a kind of glow he knew his husband was head over heels for. Taemin placed his palm against the white inner separating the older's rock-hard chiseled chest and batted supposedly raging eyes at the older, which only induced a throaty cackle from him. He knew Minho would never take him seriously while he looked like an angry 7 y.o with a deep shade of crimson on his cheeks. The faint scent of corsage on Taemin's delicate wrist and the intoxicating smell of the beauty in his arms was enough to curtain the glare Taemin was throwing him as he reached up to smooch the younger's saccharine lips. When he pulled away, he couldn't help but feel all the way up from Taemin's to his long brown locks and ruffle them when Taemin's blush deepened. "Choi Minho I will-" Taemin stopped, lost for words and trying so hard to be angry at the unreal features of his gentlemanly husband. 

"You will........?" Taemin huffed to get his point across to Minho's head but broke into a giggling mess when the teasing male started tickling his sides after rolling him back onto his back. "S-stop, Minho-" Taemin pleaded, trying to maintain distance between the assaulting man and himself but failed miserably. So he did what he would do in a situation like this and took assist from his legs, plunging them forcefully into Minho's stomach and kicking him out of the bed. 

"What the -" Minho's head popped back into his vision, hand clutching his neck while the face was converged in a muddling mess. However, when his eyes fell on the sitting up form of Taemin with a side-splitting smile, disheveled hair and looking completely spent, he let in a muffled chuckle. 

"Don't tickle me, you know I go into ninja-mode." Taemin panted, tugging the stray hair away from his face. "Then I don't see if it's some army dude infront of me or a frog, I attack." Minho raised both his eyebrows, rising back on his feet and shifting back on the bed.

"Frog? I am a frog now?" Taemin swiftly nodded, still faintly beaming. "Why did you marry a frog then, Princess Tae-ana-" Minho began with a sheepish look on his face. "Get it? Tiana, Tae-ana?" When the level of lameness finally got to Taemin, he let the smile fall in a rather emphasized roll of eyes and fished for his phone on the pillow, pretending to call someone.

"Hello, Mr.Lawyer. I need you to file a divorce right this instant-" Taemin's eyes widened when an all too familiar laugh reached his ears and the owner was practically pulling him onto his lap, fingers pressing against the ticklish points on the younger's cinched waist. "I swear I will chop your off if you tickle me one more time." 

"Ok get up and change, we have a whole lot of lunches and dinners to attend tomorrow." Minho cackled out, patting the bouncy flesh and got on his feet, beginning to undo the buttons on his white shirt. 

"Nooo" There was an aggressive shake of his brown locks, making Minho cringe as Taemin dumped himself face-first onto the bed. Again. "I am tired, like soo tired." Came out the younger's muffled voice. 

"Hurry. Get up and change." The older tried again after he had rid himself off the shirt and put it away, this time going for the flat of Taemin's feet.

"You know, I only have so much stamina..Not everyone is like you." Taemin continued to whine but when he felt a ticklish feeling under his feet, he yelped, folding his feet away. "HEY!"

"You want me to undress you?" 

"NO." Minho leafed through the closet and pulled out a hoodie and a pair of shorts, throwing them carelessly right into Taemin's angered face.

"Here. Change now. I am gonna shower." Whining, Taemin clutched the pieces of clothing and huffed and puffed in Minho's direction."Or just wait till I come back, I'll help you change." 

"Whyyyy. Can't I just sleep in this?" Minho shook his head strictly and leaned down to grab Taemin's knees to drag him closer to his hovering form.

"On second thoughts, come here, let me change you first. I don't want you sleeping in that attire." With a quick jerk, the tux was off Taemin.

"You are so annoying." Taemin rolled his eyes to the back of his head and surrendered to the will of his husband, letting him do as he pleased. Reaching down, Minho began ing his shirt but when a devious idea struck his head, he peeled the shoulders down and stopped. With a circle of his bulky arm under the completely ed shirt and around the petite waist of the younger, he pulled him up on his knees and veered in to take the feathery smooth skin of Taemin's shoulder between his teeth. Taemin gasped, a moan almost excaping his plump lips, he held Minho's bare shoulders and turned red. "Ch-Choi Minho!" 

"Fine fine, jeez." A series of chuckles left Minho's lips as he gave a quick kiss just below Taemin's ear, very well-aware of it being his sensitive spot. The look Taemin gave him was priceless; a mixture of and like a deer caught in headlight, it was worth another kiss. Shamelessly, Minho ignored the disapproving look by his wife and savoured the sweet taste of his lips for what felt like eternity before pulling away and planting a kiss on the crown of his head. 

"Do you really have to hang it back? It's not like I am gonna wear it to jogging tomorrow -.-" A red-faced Taemin taunted when Minho hung his tux and shirt beside his own before going for his pants and beginning to ramble on about a list of manners Taemin did not want to be tutored about at this hour. 

"It's not about wearing it again, it's about-" 

"kjdhaksjs" Taemin plugged his index into his ears and began muttering a mantra Minho could not completely decipher, pushing him off the edge.

"Shut up." Minho laughed at the level of ignorance and reached down for Taemin's buckle.

"Sir yes sir!" The boy mocked with a dumb salute before grabbing Minho's advancing actions and warning. The taller male wore a waggish smirk and peeled his pants off his legs, hanging them with his attire. Not wasting his once in a life time chance and walking forth to grab that round when Taemin got on his knees to pull the hoodie from the corner of the bed, Minho d the soft flesh separated by a thin boxer and fondled with it playfully. "CHOI MINHO." 

"How unfortunate of me.Can't even have a piece of these fluffy bottoms despite owning the owner now." Minho retreated but not before he had pulled the elastic part well away from his skin to make it slap against Taemin's skin, earning a pair of narrowed eyes and pursing lips. 

"Patience is virtue, my friend-"

"Husband." Minho corrected.

"Patience is husband, my friend." Taemin could swear the way Minho looked him up and down while wearing the ugliest face possible on that handsome face, it could have killed the boy if he did not know he sounded so stupid a while ago. Embarrassed, Taemin threw his hands in the air after he had pulled on the hoodie. "Ok ok, let's, like, divorce tomorrow. We are both lame as ." 

"I don't know about myself but you definitely broke the scale." 

"If you keep going on about my creative sense of humour, I'll never let you touch my -" Taemin forwarded a glare to the cackling mess of a husband of his and when even after wearing the scariest face there was no stopping to the cackles that were swiftly changing into low laughs, Taemin hollered. "I am serious!" 

"Ok Sirius Black, I'll shower now." 

"Whyyyy sooooooo seeeeeeeriiiiiiiiiiious-" 

"I don't have a trashbag your size." Minho pointed out, making way for the washroom with his towel hanging on his shoulder, failing to catch the glimpse of contortion and agitation sitting pronounced on Taemin's features. 

"It's, like, 4 in the morning.Tsk." Taemin called after him, grabbing a fist-full of sheets and gritting his teeth. "You'll wake back up at 6 so what's the point?!" 
 

A month later

There was a distant voice resounding in Taemin's head. A kind of voice he oh-so recignized but could not bring himself to actually attend to. As he flipped sides, an arm and leg dangling off the bed from between the duvet, he was hit by a rush of cold on his exposed skin. Instinctively tucking them back into his comforter, the younger pulled the lining over his nose and paid no heed to any incoming hinderance to his slumber. However, when a feathery touch of knowing long fingers brushed against the highs of his cheeks, he fluttered his dubious eyes open to meet big doe ones of Minho. For a second there, he felt himself drop 6 feet under just by the yearning evident in the brown of those eyes. 

"...min-ah. Taemin-ah." Minho cooed again, this time softer than the previous time as he came to the realization that the younger was awake but maybe a bit dazed since he was literally in his face. "Have you seen my black sweatpants?" He watched as the boy pulled in his eyebrows and sluggishly revealed rest of his face, wearing his usual pout on those lips. Minho couldn't help it, he couldn't help but lean in, startling the younger and planted a peck on that pout. The younger fisted the sheets and brought it back up to the bridge of his nose, trying to conceal away the growing scarlet hue on his cheeks. 

"You always wear your camouflage ones though- you like to flash that you're in freaking army." 

"I can't wear it all the time during our combat practice." Minho coaxed, slipping an arm under Taemin's head and scooching up beside him, making the boy curl against his torso, still being hugged by the comforter. 

"You have others-wait wha-combat??" Taemin promptly batted perplexed orbs at the older, stabbing his chin in his chest to furrow his eyebrows. He knew what this meant, he knew this was to come then why was he so flabbergasted? Why did he feel like it came as a surprise? "Where are you going??" Taemin dared himself to question, hoping to get engulfed by the sleep and wake up to it being a mere dream but the reality was far from the mirage he wanted it to be. 

"I tried to wake you up but guess, I was too rough last night." Minho flicked the sulky boy's nose and brushed his thumb against the velvety skin of his pink cheeks. "You were sleeping like ing Aurora." Taemin frowned at that, even more terrified of finding the truth now. How was he to live without this man? He could barely spend a day when they were just dating but now that they were married, the thought just straight up sounded like a horror story. "I got a call at 5 A.M about rejoining the next-"

"WHAT?!?!?!" Taemin's eyes widened. "Don't tell me they asked you to join already???" Minho forwarded a nod, enveloping the younger as close as he could get into his chest while he sat with his back pressed against the headboard. "Do they have no respect for the newlyweds???" He heard him mumble in his chest, sounding irked. 

"A month. They let me take a break for a month, of course It's time I rejoin." Minho pointed out, urging him to look up while he left soft kisses everywhere on his face. All he wanted to do that moment was get the best out of it, get the best out of staying so close to his wife, his love, his everything. How he wanted the time to stop around them, so he could kiss each and every nook of his body before he left. "Now, the sweatpants. Help me look for them-" Taemin looked like he was about to combust into tears any moment with his cheeks huffed and eyes looking glassier than usual. "Don't make that face with me." 

"Don't go...." Taemin's voice cracked, the rush of emotions getting the worst out of him. Promptly hiding away his face in Minho's shirt and embracing the broad torso, Taemin sniffed quietly, hand flying every now and then to do failed attempts of wiping the tears cascading down his cheeks to not wet the older's shirt. Minho's heart swelled at the sight in his embrace, inducing a hug closer he could get into his front. It was one of the moments he felt like the younger was a plush toy and just wanted to hug the absolute hell out of him. 

"Aigoo, my poor 2 years old baby-" Minho mocked, recalling their wedding day and pressed his lips to the top of Taemin's head before pointing out matter-of-factly. "Some day I have to rejoin, though." 

"Bu-but what will I do without you??" 

"Come on. It's 2018, there are plenty of things you can do." 

"But I wanna do you." So much for wanting to hug the hell out of him to just burying his balls-deep into that tight . Minho descended his orbs down to meet the daring face of his wife and sighed to find it smiling with moist eyes and cheeks."Ok ok I am joking. Do you really, like, really have to go back......?" Taemin sniffed. 

"It's not April so duh." Minho sighed loudly and picked Taemin up in his arms, settling him down on his feet to ruffle his hair. "You are not helping~! Get up and at least make me something to eat while I sort my things?" 

"Ok..." Taemin pouted, leaving a lingering brush of lips against Minho's as he made his way to the washroom.

"Why do you sound dead?"

"Ok!" Came out a shrill call before a loud bang of the door echoed through the room, making Minho chuckle.

Minho was engrossed in stuffing his belongings in a handcarry while the younger followed him around the house with a plate of buttered toasts in his hand. He folded a few Tees and placed them neatly in his bag, turning to grab a pile of pyjamas Taemin had previously kept folded in a corner. The younger pushed forth a toast before MInho's mouth, he cracked through a part right away, now fumbling with the contents of the first-aid box in his hands. 

"Open your big mouth. Say Ahh~" Taemin choked with a smug smile on his lips which earned him a crane of Minho's neck and humorless laugh from the older.

"Are you telling me to open my mouth or moan?"

"Both?" Minho shook his head, reverting his attention back to a blue tube between his index and thumb, stabbing it into Taemin's direction after he had taken the last bit of the toast in Taemin's hand. 

"Can you check its expiry-"

"I am feeding you breakfast?!?!?!?!" He knew, a sane Taemin would never decline such an offer but it was a raging, red-faced, irked Taemin feeding him his breakfast for now so he knew better than to squabble with the likes of the devil himself. 

"Ok ok-" Minho suspired, bringing the tube closer to his eyes to read the expiry date while he mumbled rather loudly. "What's the point of paying you when you can't even do many things simultaneously-" Getting referred to as a maid was the least worrying article of Taemin's worries at the moment so he waved off the mockery coated tone and the smirk on his husband's face with a disappearing of his eyeballs behind his lids. 

"You're so irritating, I swear to God." 

"Isn't it better that I am leaving, then?" Silence. The temperature dropped all the way to the Earth's core as Minho tried not to laugh at the jutted out bottom lip of the younger and the crystal clear pool of tears beginning to form in his waterline. Before the little one could burst into a fit of sobs, Minho settled the box down on the bed and took the plate from his hands, putting it away. "Aigoo Taemin-ah..." He fished down and embraced his waist, pulling him closer towards him, his chin resting above the younger's small head. 

"......."

"You alive?" He chuckled, trying to pull away but Taemin held tighter, refusing to let go as his silent cries turned into sobs. "Aww, I wish I could pack you up in my bag like my other possessions." 

"When will you......return?" The frail boy managed to choke out between his sobs, feeling Minho his hair so fondly it twisted his heart in a stabbing pain. He could only tell himself one thing despite all the comfort he needed to feel in Minho's absence, and that was he needed to be strong, to be his usual self in front of Minho, even if it meant working to shade his fear with contentment. Even if it meant masking his tears with a smile. But however much he tried, he could not help but tear up. Having never thought of such a feeling of panic to ever rake his mien, he did not know what to do except asking Minho to stay, which he knew the other could never do. 

"I haven't even left yet...?" Minho was chortling again, pretending he did not feel a single thing regarding leaving his beautiful wife to serve his country but in reality, he was breaking into nothingness. He could feel his resolve crumbling the more he listened to Taemin's silent pleas of staying with him but he knew better than to display it on his face. He was always taught to be emotionless at a time like this, to throw all his emotions in the ocean and just march on but the way the younger clinged to him as if his life depended on it, as if the moment he pulled away, he'd disappear, he couldn't help but gulp and soothe his back. "Maybe....a few weeks or a month or months or-" He stopped when Taemin had suddenly raised his tear-stained face to meet his hurt eyes and was fumbling with the cloth on his chest, his lips quivering in fear. He looked...

Beautiful.

His Taemin was absolutely gorgeous despite his red-nose and the cute hiccup that escaped his lips. "I am joking. God, you're so adorable." Minho towered over him to press his lips against Taemin's wavering ones, savoring the sweetness he'd miss so much. He slightly parted, nuzzling his nose against Taemin's. "I think a month or two? Or maybe a few weeks? Depends, really." 

"You better answer me whenever I call-" Taemin sang in a low, hurt voice, the back of his fidgety fingers efforting to wipe his tears away. 

"Taemin, I can't answer you all the time." With one hand resting on the small of Taemin's back and the other feeling up to grab his jawline, Minho traced his features with his eyes and rubbed his thumb against his chin, catching sight of the glare Taemin was holding. "Don't make that face, I know what you mean by whenever." 

"So you'll ignore me huh?" 

"How can I ignore the likes of my cute wife-"

"Husband!" 

"How can I husband the likes of my cute wife-" Minho wiggled his eyebrows to irate the younger even more than he already was over misgendering him and smacked his before parting away and getting back to work with his medicines. 

"Oh my God, just go!" Taemin stomped his feet noisily and slapped his arm, getting another cackle while Minho paid no attention to his remarks and carried on with arranging his stuff. "I'll pray for your mates' braincells." 

"Ok go e to me, I have to change." 
 

The sun shone through the wall-sized tinted window and onto a frail figure sitting on a bean-bag before a television, he seemed to be conversing with someone on the phone with a whole bundle of nervousness glowing on his face. Taemin rubbed his palm against his thigh and eyed his nails as he listened to the lady on the other side. It was Minho's mother and she so happened to know of Minho's departure before Taemin even had chance to open his eyes. He nodded profusely and 'nae'ed all the way throughout the conversation, casually hanging his head low and trying to hide his blush under his shaded bangs. As soon as the lady bid her farewell to him, he heard a distant screech of the door, making him turn in curiosity as he placed his phone against the glass-table sprawled in the middle of the room. 

"Minho, your mother called. She-" The field of vision he perceived was jaw-dropping, spell-bounding, shellshocking, for, he found himself gawking at the tall male walking into the lounge, gripped in buttoning his collar while his camouflage-printed cap hung on a little hook on his belt. 

His husband in his actual form, his uniform, was enough to turn him mute for eternities. It was not that he had not ever seen him in a uniform but that had only been in photos and now that the walking specimen made his way past him, making his head follow him and began searching for something, he gulped down a lump, lost for words. 

"Can you bring that cuboidal box of my badges? I can't find it." Minho referred to him, still looking for the most important component of his attire and when he did not get a reply, nor any kind of movement from the rosy face of the younger, he waved his hand in his face. 

"........"

"Yah, Taemin-ah." He leaned forward, hoping the other would react in some way or the other and at least lean back or pounce on him but Taemin remained fixated, fluttering glued eyes on Minho. 

"......."

"Like what you see?" The older smirked, pulling his porcelain cheek and patting it away to continue his search.

"You look so- so..." Taemin spaced out, blinking ahead and trying to form words before finally crying out. "SO HANDSOME AND DREAMY!" 

"Maybe this is why you married me. I see, you have a kink for soldiers." 

"Only for a certain soldier~" Taemin sang, swaying his upto Minho and jerked the cap off from the hook, slumping it onto Minho's head. "Better-"

"It's hot- don't." Minho tried to hold his wrist but let himself fail when he saw the jumpy smile on Taemin's lips. 

"For pictures! Pleaseee." The younger rocked back and forth on his heels, pivoting about to quickly grab his phone and unlocking it. "Look into the camera lens-" He held the phone in front of his face and began taking candid shots as Minho advanced to take hold of his wrist but he inched back and continued with his invade of privacy in Minho's life. 

"No- Taemin, you're embarrassing me." Minho exhaled sharply and made a quick attempt to steal the phone but Taemin was faster and hid it behind his back. 

"You move too much." Taemin nagged his way into positioning Minho the way he desired before taking a few snaps of a constipated smile Minho was intentionally giving to the camera. He did not fail to capture the roll of eyes and emphasized derp faces the older was making as he laughed heartily. "Should I caption it 'My baby's first day at the camp'?"

"You make it sound like I am your son or something. Plus, it isn't my first day." 

"I am telling you, our son will not join army!" The frail boy protested, his eyes fixed on his phone while he typed something into it.

"How do you know for sure that we'll have a son? I want a daughter!" Finally succeeding in interrupting Taemin's usage of his phone and shuffling closer, Minho let himself shadow the younger and challenged. 

"The one who carries the baby will decide, that means me-" Taemin talked back with a contented smile on his lips but as soon as it appeared on his face, sooner did it disappear into a struggling, whining, blushing mess as Minho carried him up bridal-style. Taemin circled his arms around his neck and batted glassy eyes up at Minho's sheepish grin. "Ch-Choi Minho, put me down." 

"I won because you're my baby." 

"Can I hide in your travel-bag...?" 

"You are so cute, you might get suffocated." Minho joked, raising him up closer so he could smooch that frown but Taemin was quick to push him to part as he breathed out angrily.

"How does being cute relate to getting suffocated?!?!" 

"I don't know, my brain doesn't function around you." The older replied dreamily, as if in a trance, a voodoo magic set up by Taemin but the younger pulled his lips into a sarcastic smile and moved closer, kissing him full on the lips, letting Minho tug at his bottom one, clearly fishing for more but sluggishly slow, Taemin pulled away and fluttered flirtious eyes up at the taller one, whispering. 

"When does it ever function?" 

Another month later

The loud chatter of soldiers strolling into their camps, all ragged and sweaty from their morning training was like the usual background track for a military camp. Their dirty green camps sprawled everywhere around the clearing in the forest, a mountain standing tall at a good distance from them. As they finished their morning training, every soldier looked eager to ring their home if the connection seemed stable enough. Luckily, there was no hinderance in the connection as far as Minho could perceive inside his camp, watching as his mates began reporting back home, he made way to his own phone and checked for anything out of the norm. Sure as hell, he had tons of notifications to attend to. Sighing, he scrolled through his log and found that half of the 443 calls were from Taemin, not to mention the countless amount of messages. That boy had zero to nill self-control but he did not blame him since they had not talked in a month, their last time being when he safely reached his camp. Just when he was about to dial his number, the screen flashed and his phone began vibrating to indicate a video-call. 

Kibum. 

He promptly accepted it and instinctively began patting the handkerchief all over his face to lessen the thin sheen of sweat evident on his cheeks. However, he was thrown six feet under when he ws met with not one Kibum, but a whole lot of his friends and family in the phone-frame. It did not take him long to spot his favourite being as the latter kept laughing in between the birthday song. He also seemed to be blushing profusely for some unknown reason. 

Honestly, he did not even know it was his birthday. Time sure flies. 

"Happy Birthday to you~ Happy Birthday to you~ Happy Birthday dear Minho, happy birthday to you~" 

"Yah, you better take that cap off! We can't see your face!" Kibum complained, stabbing Jonghyun in the ribs for trying to be in the shot. In the end, he ended up waving and dipping the lowest so only his eyes were visible. 

"Do I have to??" Minho retorted, lifting the cap up from his head and placing it beside him. "Fine." He ran anxious fingers through his short hair and grinned like a Cheshire cat. "Thanks guys." 

"We are giving your presents to Tae." Taeyeon informed, ending with a ruffle of Taemin's hair, who, despite looking agitated, smiled like the kid he was. 

"Don't worry, I'll not steal anything, unless, well, there are banana milk cartons then-" The boy told, matter-of-factly, with a shrug.

"Why would they give me banana milk cartons?" 

"I don't know. Maybe because you aren't here so, like, all the presents are naturally meant for me?" He watched as his mother's hand crept up around Taemin's shoulders and lovingly pinched his cheek. 

"That's cheating, Mom! Keep my stuff with yourself, I don't trust this evil human." 

"This evil human is your wife, Min." Mrs.Choi replied with a straight-face to which Taemin affirmed before the realization struck him and he whipped his head about to frown.

"Yeah-wait-wife?" Mrs.Choi giggled like a little girl at the look Taemin was giving her and swiftly flew in her other arm to pull his other cheek, forcing a whince from the younger and then a pout. Oh how Minho wished to be beside that ball of fluff. All he could do was smile into his hand at the way his mother was showing her affection for her son-in-law. 

"Anyways, at least show me my presents??" 

"Let's start off with Taemin's. I bet you, you would not wanna know anyone else's after his!" Kibum announced, the camera angle slightly faltering when he cheered and poked Taemin's shoulder. With a small nod and the blush returning on his round cheeks, Minho was left irked as they completely ignored his existence and began rambling on about something, dismissing away to grab things.

"Why? Is he gifting me something hideous?" Minho asked, dubiety overflowing in his tone. "What's with all this giggling? Share the joke with me, Taemin-ah!" Kibum wore a scowl when Taemin whispered something into his ear, slapping his shoulder to tell him to hurry up. "Where did he go?"

"To bring a little something-something for his husband." Sooyoung wiggled her eyebrows at Minho and leant back to give Taemin space as he appeared in the frame once again, looking like he went for a search in a windmill area."Ok are you ready?" 

"What is it, some bomb?" 

"You could...call it one?" Taemin stuttered, playing with something in his hands that Minho could not see for it being outside the frame. When he looked back up, he wore a shy smile. "Close your eyes." 

"Why-" Before Minho could drown him in questions, Taemin cut in with an irritated exclaim.

"CLOSE YOUR EYES OR I AM NOT SHOWING IT TO YOU!" Wasting no time, Minho gulped, pulling his eyes shut and waited for any kind of green signal. "Ok open it. I don't know if you can see it clearly-" When he did open it, he was met with a sight of Taemin holding up something the closest he could get to the camera of Kibum's phone. 

He would be lying if he said he knew what it was. 

"What's this? I can't see, move your hand back." 

"What's the point of giving him such big eyes, Mom? He puts it to no good-" He heard Taemin whine from behind the view of the...device and after doing something with the phone, he pushed the device in the camera's face once more, eyes expectant to see a positive response. 

If Minho's eyes were still functioning after such an exerting training, if his brain was not malfunctioning and making him see things, if he was not hallucinating, the device Taemin was holding was an actual pregnancy test. And from however much he could make of the blurry video, it showed 2 lines. 

Positive. 

If this is a prank, it isn't funny, Minho thought and put his astonishment into words. 

"Are you ing kidding me?!" 

"Congratulations Choi Minho, you're going to be a daddy- A DAD." Came out Kibum's shrill scream as he zoomed his face into the camera, followed up by every being declaring the obvious to him one by one. He was.....not expecting this. 

"Are you...for real?" Minho directed his question at the boy in the centre of the frame who looked like he would die of embarrassment any moment when they began backhugging him, ruffling his hair and pinching his cheeks, turning him into a giggling mess. 

"Yeah, Taemin is pretty much real-" Jonghyun popped in with a smug smile on his lips.

"Shut up, Jonghyun hyung! Are you pregnant?? Really??" He tried again and looked straight into the younger's shy eyes through the phone, witnessing as his giggles dimmed to a typical Taemin-style roll of eyes.

"No, I put another line with a red sharpie." Ok, that made a lot more sense than this whole situation. 

"Oh. You nearly got me-"

"Are you dumb?! He is actually pregnant!" Taeyeon piped in with an irated expression on her face, making him feel somewhat dumb and unaware of the person silently watching his little happiness through a camera lens. He felt his Jinki hyung creep up behind him and slip an arm around his shoulder, giving the forearm a squeeze. He still could not bring himself to terms with the obvious fact.

"Oi man, you're going to be a father! Congratulations!" Followed by one congratulations came another and another until basically everyone in his camp was either ruffling his short of hair or patting his back, muttering 'good job' humourously. 

"I can't believe this- Is this a joke?" He knew if Taemin was here, he'd have slapped him across the face for being so confused, maybe even kicked him in the balls. Gazing at the boy, he did look like he was about to slice his throat. "Do you have an Ultrasound report?" 

"See! I told you all he won't believe me!" As if prepared, he disappeared from the frame for a second, leaving him in an eerie silence of glares directed his way by his mother and Taemin's self-appointed mother, Kibum, before popping back in and holding a black and white parchment in front of the camera. "Here, ." 

It was real. 

As real as his . 

He blinked in awe, astounded and swept off the face of the Earth by the mere fact that he, they were having a baby. He was having a baby with his Taemin. His Taemin was pregnant... While he was all the way here, hundreds of miles away from him. Why was life so cruel? 

"I can't....What....Oh God." Minho ran his fingers against his nape and tried to choke out something, anything which made more sense than the nonsense he was already muttering with a giddy smile on his face. He was so preoccupied by the thought of holding a baby, his baby that he did not even look up to see the laughing, crying, sobbing mess Taemin was in. "Why is life so unfair?? Why do I have to be on the other side of Korea at a time like this-" 

"Awww Taemin-ah~" He heard someone's coo and ascended his orbs back up only to meet a heart-wrenching sight. Taemin was trying to slip out of the frame with his hand against his mouth to muffle his sobs but Kibum's arm around his shoulder kept him in place. Mrs.Choi looked like she was about to cry with Taemin but she masked it well when she saw him struggling to keep himself from wailing. She, too, along with others flew into to comfort the crying boy by rubbing his back while he saw Kibum throwing them some kind of look and scurrying them away. Lastly, he handed his phone to Taemin and disappeared as well. 

"Hey...don't cry-" Minho pursed his lips and cackled nervously but it only worsened Taemin's state as he saw his baggy sleeves rise to cover half of his scarlet face. "Aigoo, Taemin-ah~" Biting his lip, Minho softly questioned. "What month?" 

"7 weeks...." Taemin choked out with a cracking voice, eyes never meeting the adoring ones of Minho. But when he did look up, he couldn't help but be hit with a wave of emotions unknown to him until now and began weeping into his sleeve. 

"Shhh- What do I do-" The older exhaled sharply. "Baby don't cry please, you're making me feel bad." He cooed, succeeding somewhat when Taemin sniffed and patted his eyes dry with a small pout on his lips.

"I miss...you." Taemin voiced out, sounding all nasally and soft and just...so, so adorable. He just wanted to teleport to Seoul, grab the boy, roll him into bubblewrap and bring him with himself to his camp. 

"I won't say I miss you because I don't." Minho cracked a faint smile and caught sight of the moist eyes of the younger right away.

"....."

"You may physically be absent but you never leave my mind to begin with." He clarified and watched the younger's face turn into a frowning mess as he spoke with his nasally voice once again.

"You to me?"

"I love you." Minho only tittered, not at all taking him anywhere close to the word 'serious'. 

"I hate you. Bye." Blushing, Taemin disconnected before Minho could witness him burying his face in his palms and pulling back to fan his red face . 

4 months later

Blood. His hands were stained with blood. He looked down at the bump on his clothes, it was previously there but now....it had disappeared. He felt himself crumbling onto the floor as he fisted the cloth before his belly and wept, the blood on his hands staining his plain white shirt. 

There was a scream and he promptly craned his neck to be met with something big, something noisy, something as strong as wind blowing dirt into his face. He stumbled back and grabbed the grass to steady himself, chest heaving and breath hitching in his throat at the sight of an approaching aircraft. He couldn't move, something did not feel right, nothing felt right. From no sign of his baby to a faint tug he felt towards the aircraft. He tried to get on his feet but his knees gave away when he saw the name of the aircraft. 

It was Minho's. 

He suddenly went deaf, couldn't hear people waving at him to hide, just the sound of an all too familiar ring in his ear. He heard a faint sound as the aircraft hovered closer until it was just a meter away and everything went black. 

Taemin shot his eyes open to find the ceiling staring down at him. He promptly sat up straight and clasped a hand over his mouth, the other hand flew to his swollen belly and he felt himself relieve a breath he did not even realise he was holding. Leaning back onto the headboard, he swayed his head from side to side to steady his racing heartbeat, constantly telling himself that it was just a nightmare, except it had occurred way too often since he last talked to Minho. Slowly, he started hearing a distant clatter of utensils and remembered feeling extremely sluggish and ragged before Kibum told him to take a rest. He could hear another faint sound coming from under his pillow and he slipped in his hand grabbing his phone. Recognizing the caller ID right away, he sighed and pressed the green option, putting it to his ear.

"Hello?" 

"Taemin-ah?" Jinki's soft call made him feel all attentive. He propped his legs down the bed and prepared to hear whatever the older had to utter, for, it was not everyday that Jinki called him.

"Yes, Jinki hyung?" Taemin replied, anxiousness drooping from his tone. 

"Are you standing right now? If yes then can you sit down and take a deep breath for me?" No. He did not want to even acknowledge the fear in his voice, he did not even want to think of the worst for him to tell him such things. He did not....want his constant nightmare to come to reality in any way. 

"What...happened, Jinki hyung?" 

"Please don't panic and hold your ground. I have an unpleasant news to deliver." A lump formed in his throat, making his hand fly to his baby-bump to assure himself that nothing went wrong, nothing had been lost. What was so horrific for Jinki hyung to instruct him this way? What could have happened? He shook his thoughts away and scolded himself silently for over-thinking. 

He could not..Minho was strong, nothing would have happened to him...Nothing......

"...Please go on." 

"Minho and a regiment of a few other soldiers were being transferred from our base to a military unit further to the north when...a malfunction of the aircraft's engine sent it crashing into a river."

No. 

This all is just a dream. 

He's lying.

Taemin's heart fell into a pit, a twisting, clawing feeling in his chest gnawing at his sentiment. He felt a squeezing feeling in his gut and the nausea hitting him out of the blue, followed up by a blurry vision and spinning that didn't stop even when he clasped a hand over his forehead and tried to breathe. He knew one thing, he was crying and probably Jinki could hear it too. "Taemin-ah..." But he could not feel his head, he could not feel his limbs, he could not feel his babybump. It was as if he went blind, deaf, mute and his brain completely shut down. He felt paralyzed. 

"Is he-Is he ok?" After a long pregnant silence on the other end, he heard a voice but he did not know it was his own voice because it sounded so weak, so small, so terrified....so foreign. 

"We haven't received any other news besides that it crashed. I was told to inform the families of every soldier who was riding that aircraft for...you know, to be ready for any kind of news..." Jinki informed him with a muffled one of his own, sighing. That only worsened the state he was in, making him numb of his own surroundings. He did not even feel Kibum's worried mien as he shuffled in and plopped down beside him, grabbing his arm.

"What's wrong, Taemin-ah???" 

"Is that Kibum? Can you hand him your phone?" He heard Jinki ask and instead of replying, he pushed his phone into Kibum's chest and buried his face into his palms, breaking into a series of sobs. He was shaking, he felt so frail, so exhausted but the tears did not stop coming.

"Jinki hyung? What's the matter?"

"Minho's aircraft crashed-" Kibum gasped, clamping a hand against his mouth and forwarding a pair of anxious eyes at Taemin.

"Wha-Oh my God, Taemin-ah-" He instinctively pulled the younger into his chest and held him close, feeling his shirt going wet with the tears cascading down Taemin's crimson cheeks and trying to not worry too much about the way he was shivering. 

"I'll inform you if I receive any kind of news, whether good...or bad.." 

"Please do." Reaching back, he pulled the lining of the comforter over Taemin's shoulder and disconnected the phone, wrapping the boy in it and trief to pat away his tears. "Taemin, Taemin, Taemin- Aigoo, he's going to be fine!" He felt him shake his head and mutter out a set of words before breaking down into weeps.

"What if- what if- something-" 

"No. Nothing will go wrong, please stay strong." He fished down for his own phone and began dialling a number. "I'll call Minho's mother-" Taemin quickly held his hand and shook his head, making him halt in his actions. 

"No! D-don't.." 

"Ok I won't." Kibum promised, rubbing soothing circles onto his back but the boy just won't stop. He kept chanting Minho's name under his breath, trying to tell Kibum something but his struggles failed miserably. "Yah...Hold yourself. It's not good for yours and the baby's health if you cry like this!"

Baby. Their baby. Will the other part of his nightmare come true as well? Taemin frantically shook his head and held his swollen belly as if the moment he let go, the baby would disappear. Kibum was right, he had to be strong for the baby at least, he had to hold himself. "Shhhh, everything's going to be fine! Just pray to God!" He needed to pray for Minho's well-being, he needed to do all he could in his power to not let anything affect his health, for it would directly negatively affect his baby. 

Taemin begged to Kibum to be left in a nearby church for however long he wanted to. He spent his entire evening wailing and weeping on the altar. He knew he was sinful, he knew he was no where near pure, he knew he was a sinner with countless sins but he also knew that God loved everyone. He knew there was no one who could help him except his Creator. Despite the taint of black on his heart, despite the chain of his sins, he knew his God was all Merciful. He prayed for everyone on board, for their safety, to return to their loved ones in one piece. 

He cried so much he almost lost his voice. Almost fainted his way back to their house. 

Lives were on stake and how he just wished it was a dream. 
 

"Kibum, bring Taemin to the Yongsan Hospital, Emergency department. A helicopter will arrive shortly. It is carrying 2 soldiers, I don't know their medical states but one of them is Minho, for sure." 

"Ok." Kibum disconnected the phone, nodding.

"Hyu-hyung, is he...fine?" Taemin asked, his eyes all swollen, expectant and heavy, his limbs aching and his ears waiting to hear anything positive. Kibum cut in and grabbed his phone from the sidetable, standing up.

"Jinki hyung asks to reach Yongsan right away. I'll be calling Minho's mother and noona ok? Go wait in the car." Taemin nodded and made his way to the Kibum's car, slipping in and biting his nails in the creeping silence of the car. When Kibum slipped into the driver's seat, he looked strained and agitated at something but Taemin could not register what it was. Hell, he couldn't even register the state he was in. He fidgeted with his fingers resting on his bump and observed his unaware surrounding from the window. 

Shortly, the car came to a roaring halt and Kibum hurriedly got off, helping Taemin out as they strolled into the busy department. They slumped down by the seats and waited patiently for any familiar faces to approach them. Taemin was not particularly staring at anything but he coldn't help but listen in to the conversation going on between a nurse standing across him before 2 ladies. One was a lot older than the other. 

"We've been here for over 4 hours now, what's happening?? Is Siwon in that helicopter or not?" 

Siwon. 

There was no mistaking it, he was one of the mates Minho once mentioned to him. He watched with parted lips and a petrified expression on his face as the nurse tried to drag down her heigtening anger. 

"Ma'am the ambulence is going to arrive shortly." 

"That's what you've been telling me for 4 hours!" 

"Ahreum- honey, please calm down-" The older of the two swiftly grabbed her arm, nervously looking around for the scene this, Ahreum lady was creating in the department. But she looked like the kind to not give in as she broke down into tears in the older woman's arms. 

"Can't they just tell me what happened to him!?" 

"They don't know too." She wept into her shoulder until her eyes met Taemin's glassy ones, descending them down to the baby-bump he was trying to conceal with his long sleeves. With a shaky arm, she raised her index at him and questioned innocently. Kibum recognized her from the wedding but he wasn't that close to her to start a conversation. The way Taemin looked at her only meant one thing, he did not recall her attending his wedding, at all.

"Are you..." Ahreum pursed her lips, trying to pull herself together." Taemin? Did they..did they tell you something regarding Minho?" Kibum watched as Taemin's eyes fell into his lap and his shivering heightened. 

"Tae...Taemin-ah-" The whole department broke into a fit of shouts and hurried footsteps as a stretcher came into view, zooming in from the enterance.

"The family is waiting here- Colonel asked to inform them first-" Ahreum rose to her feet and walked forth, meeting a rushing nurse's emotionless frame as unthinklable words left her lips.

"Siwon-ssi's family?" The lady quickly nodded, bouncing her eyes between the stretcher and the nurse. The moment her eyes fell on the bloody face of Siwon, she choked. "He didn't make it-" Beside Kibum's widened eyes, Taemin's had begun to tear up even more. How could life be so ruthless? 

"T-Tae..." Kibum cooed in between his own silent prays and held the wavering frame of the boy closer to him. The lady was in a sobbing mess by now, being dragged behind the stretcher by the older lady, who seemed way more relaxed than her. Their attention was stolen by a rush of steps stopping before them as Sooyoung and Mrs.Choi made their way into the brightly lit hall. 

"Kibum! Taemin! Is there any other news from Jinki??" Sooyoung looked like she had not even winked a sleep as she propped down beside Taemin and put a scarf over his shoulder, catching just how much he was shivering and going pale. 

"No, Sooyoung noona." Kibum swallowed a lump. "The other soldier....he...got martyred." 

"Oh God....." He heard Mrs.Choi's panic-stricken voice, unscrewing a bottle of water for Taemin to chug down. "Taemin-ah, here, have some water..." The boy raised the back of his hand to gently push it out of his sight with a shake of his brown locks. "Aigoo, just a little, please?" 

"He's been crying since he heard the news. At this rate, he'll fall sick..." He did not want to worry anyone, he was just not in mood, he could not feel anything except for his racing heartrate. But he knew very well how much he had put Kibum in a difficult spot by declining everything from food to sleep and cried like there was no tomorrow for him."He refused to go for the check-up as well." 

"Taemin..Minho won't be happy if he finds this out..." Sooyoung's hand leafed through his locks and her voice said it all. She was hurting. It was selfish of Taemin to think it would only affect him. Of course Minho was not only his husband but a brother and a son as well.

"Look, I'm sure he's-" 

"Arrange a room! Sunyoung, get Dr.Son right away!" Another stretcher was brought into their view and the man seemed to be........moving, his left arm was in the air as a blood bag was connected to him with a thin pipe. When the moving stretcher was brought before him and Taemin's eyes landed on the bruised, bloody, beaten body of Minho and still a stupid smile on his lips, he was left astounded and oozing with emotions. 

"Minho!" Kibum contentedly exclaimed but the nurse had blocked his view and was asking for a series of information from him regarding the brutally injured man. 

"You are Minho-ssi's...-"

"Family. Where do I sign?" After he had fulfilled the hospital formalities, he dropped his gaze to Taemin and reverted it back to Minho to find him giving them a weak thumbs up with an even weaker smile. "Taemin-ah, your idiot husband is smiling, oh my God." 

"They are going to take him to the ICU. He's not completely out of danger yet." He heard the nurse inform them with a small sad smile on her lips as she began narrating to them the whole incident and followed it up with his injuries. "His spinal cord survived the hit by 1 cm. His right arm and both legs are fractured and left arm has a hairline fracture. His head was surprisingly saved to some extent because of his helmet, although he does have some complications there. The worst part is his ribs and pelvis. He'll be needing the bedrest for a minimum of 3 months to be able to walk properly." 

"So, there is no fatal injury, right?" 

"No. He needs prayers though and a lot of care. I'll be going and looking into the matters of his admission." With that she left the hall to the family. 

"See?" Kibum turned to meet Taemin sniffing discreetly. "Minho's fine. He'll be completely normal within a few months. So you better take care of yourself and the baby." The boy nodded into the back of his hand and wiped any more tears. 

"I'll stay back, you head home with aunt-"

"N-no. I want to stay-" Kibum promtly cut in with a stern call of his name.

"Taemin." The referred boy wet his lips and looked up to meet Kibum's strict eyes. "Come to pay a visit alright? Stay here all day but don't spend the night here. You need your medicines and a proper bed. You can't be carrying this soccer ball sized belly of yours, now can you?" 

"I don't know what he's allowed to have but let's make him something for tomorrow." Mrs.Choi rested her hand on the small of Taemin's back and pulled on a faint smile.

"Clothes too. Bring clothes and a proper blanket or something." Sooyoung added as she put forward the point of staying with Kibum.

"Taemin-ah. Don't you dare cry anymore, ok?" 

He was safe. It was enough reason to cry on the altar. 

The faint beep echoed through the room, somewhat proving itself to be rather irating to the man in bed. He could barely move due to the neck support pillow, plaster on his right arm and both his legs. Not to mention the inner complications he could not really see or feel. Heck, he could barely feel anything except for his left arm and his head. His eyes tore from the ceiling as the ICU room's tinted glass door was pushed open for a small boy to enter. It was his first time seeing the boy all self-conscious around him, his arms in front, doing failed attempt to curtain his obvious baby bump behind his baggy clothes. When their eyes met, he knew only three things; he must have been crying, that he looked so cute with droopy sleeves, long honey brown locks and his smile was...his smile was absolutely stunning. 

"Hi, how's your health?" He tried to push himself up in a sitting position but the pain that shot through his spine told him to just ing rest. 

"Are you dumb? This question is only valid for you right now." Cocky as ever. Taemin plopped down on the bed beside his left arm and took his hand in his, being extra careful with the cannula connected to the IV drip. 

"You've been crying.." Minho told himself more than replying to the boy.

"No , Sherlock." With a frown on his face, Taemin felt every nook of Minho's long fingers, missing the feeling of the firm hands against his own."What did you expect me to do? Dance to lucifer?" 

"I mean, yeah?" Minho replied in a humourous fashion, eyes never leaving Taemin's beautiful features. "Anything which does not involve you shedding tears for an annoying person like me." 

"You have too much energy for an almost dead man." 

"We are trained to endure pain, alright?" He watched and cackled faintly as Taemin absent-mindedly nodded. "I wish they counselled the families to face any kind of news as well." 

"You are so stupid." He was stupid for feeling so nervous around the man he had been crying for. Feeling a rush of disappointment when Minho pulled his hand away and instead held his small one, Taemin pouted. 

"So, is it a boy or a girl?" 

"I didn't find that out yet. I was waiting for..you." 

"Kibum already told me, by the way." Taemin constricted his eyebrows, slightly irked at the new revelation. "What? He said he asked the doctor last month but since you didn't wanna know, he did not tell you." 

"Then why the are you asking me like I have any idea?" 

"It's a boy." Minho ignored his foul language and pulled his hand onto his chest, brushing his thumb against the back of his hand, not failing to notice the silver ring on his index. 

"That is why he keeps kicking! I am sure he's Minho part 2." Taemin exclaimed with a puffy face as he averted his eyes to his baby bump. 

"Isn't it good? You can have one Minho while the other is away." 

"No thank you. I want my original Minho." 

"Original Minho..." Minho chuckled inwardly at the ceiling before turning to bathe in the sight of a slightly chubbier Taemin, leaving his hand to brush his long bangs away from his face. "You grew your hair longer." 

"You said you liked them long so.." 

"How're Adam and Eve?" 

"Still getting mistaken for opposite genders by strangers." Minho cackled softly, expecting it before it even left Taemin's mouth. 

"Last time we talked, you said you reached Diamond II in league." The older asked, now the highs of his cheeks with his thumb. "Care to explain how that miracle happened?" 

"Well I had nothing better to do than play league so...naturally, I got better." 

"Your job?" 

"Boring like you." There was a constriction of his face as the older halted feeling the younger's face and instead playfully tugged at his rosy cheeks. "Don't give me that look, why are you interviewing me when I should be shoving soup down your throat and talking about our baby-" 

"Isn't it funny?" Minho cut in, earning a flare of Taemin's nose, which he paid no heed to as he pulled the tip of his nose.  "Like, you cry when I am not there and when I am, you want me to shut up and listen to you talk." 

"So you hate it when I talk-" 

"No, I could listen to your soft voice for however long is forever...It's just that, sometimes a man gotta speak you know?" Don't laugh, he kept telling himself, registering the scowl threatening his wife into a carnivorous state at any point.

"What are you implying? Am I not a man?" 

"You are...too adorable for the strong word like man." Taemin had risen to his feet now, his mien clearly screaming to be respected so Minho held his hand. "Ok ok I am kidding. I almost died but I think you'll finish me up." Nope. Not the right time to talk about his death. Minho's taunting face dimmed down to a frown when he saw Taemin's quivering lips and a cracking self-control. "Aigoo...I am joking. - Can't hug." He declared after he had struggled to get up and embrace the younger but to no avail. 

"I ing hate you so much." 

"Yeah and this is why you cried like a baby, isn't it?" 

"Y-yah! I swear I'll break your neck." 

"It's already broken, somewhat, kinda- Ahh...I should not talk this much.."

"Good. Finally." 

"You want to know why I want to talk-" Minho mischievously whispered, Taemin's small hand and jerking him closer. Closer and closer until Taemin was leaned all the way into his face and efforting to break free from the iron-grip of his husband. 

"No Minho, shut up ok-" Cutting in, Minho sealed his lips with his own, loving the softness, the slight rise of temperature in the younger's overall body and the way his pulse seemed to be quickening. He did not care that latter's eyes were wide-open in shock. He did not care about a wave of pain shooting through his head. He did not care if anyone walked in on them right now. He nipped at his bottom lip and pulled away with a click, the stupid smile replacing back on his lips.

"I missed you so ing much, is why."