Now Playing: Here, Always by Stray Kids' Seungmin

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"!" Minho flings his backpack on the ground as the minute he gone through the door of the house and into the spacious living room- already lit with some colorful and twinkling fairly lights and a tall decorated Christmas tree on one corner. He remembered his husband said something setting up a Christmas tree just this morning. But nothing of the colorful things around had eased him up.

There's a hurried pitter patter of steps on the hallway, probably coming from the washing room or the kitchen, with Minho's still tangled and messed up mind, he still remembered his husband saying earlier this morning, something like changing pillow cases, bedsheets and curtains around the house then to wash the old ones.

When Seungmin came into the view, he has a surprised look on his undeniably handsome face, "Babe? Oh, you're early." Minho was supposed to come home at 9 in the evening, that's when he will finish his shift but right now, according to the wall clock on one corner of the room, it's still quarter to seven. It's not that Seungmin's not happy about seeing his husband this early but he can't also help but wonder because this was unusual- except when he has unexpected fever or cold while on duty.

Minho has to come down first, blowing off some heavy breathes, and Seungmin exactly knew what that means, but Minho has to beat him to eat before Seungmin starts to get stressed and he can't really have that.

"I'm fine, love. It's just a bad day. Did you do laundry?" Judging by the wet spot on Seungmin's sleeves and a soap foaming on his fingers, he really does look like he came from the washing room.

"Yeah, it's just-"

"What time is it? You shouldn't be doing that at this hour, and we can always ask someone to do that!" He didn't mean it to raise his voice, sometimes he tends to do that when he got worried over Seungmin due to his stubbornness.

"I'm pregnant, Minho. Definitely not disabled! I can still wash clothes just fine!" Seungmin calling Minho by his name means the younger's starting to get annoyed.

"I know, I'm sorry- I just- I'm sorry, babe." Minho looked like a kicked puppy, "at least don't do it at this hour." His voice was more calmer now yet he still felt ashamed for raising his voice to his pregnant husband, eyes cast down to the floor while his shoulders slump lowly in embarrassment and frustration.

Seungmin knew this, it felt like a deja vu, he sighed as he raised his hands to cup the older's face to make him look at him, "hey, it's fine. It's okay, I was just bored, I'm sorry, I promise I will not do laundry anymore at this hour. Anyway, I've still got left overs since lunch earlier, want me to re-heat them?"

Minho sighs, "I don't want food, I want cuddles."

"Eat first, then cuddles." Seungmin grins, leaning forward to plant kisses on Minho's lips and nose and cheeks.

Minho groans but a wide smile appears onto his face, "fineeeee." Prolonging the last letter makes it sound like he has no other choice since the bargain was nice. Seungmin purposely avoided asking about the reason why he's home this early, he knew the look his husband was sporting and he knew how he sounded when he's stressed and frustrated.

Eventually after reheating all of Seungmin's left overs, Minho surprisingly devoured them all, stress made him hungry without even realizing it and even if he told Seungmin that he's not hungry, the younger thought it's the other way around. He then helped him have a quick warm bath.

"Where's Hyunjin?" Minho asks about their 9-year old son for the first time since he arrived home tonight while rubbing a towel softly over his head to dry off his hair.

"Oh, he's already in his room, said he has to sleep early since he has a Christmas party to attend tomorrow." Seungmin replies while arranging their pillows on the bed, he too changed into a comfortable and warm pair of pajamas.

"The party starts at 6 in the evening." Minho blinks up to his husband.

Seungmin chuckles, "he's very excited, you know how he is." Minho made a quick trip towards his son's room, slowly and carefully opening the door and saw a sleeping Hyunjin tucked in his bed. He just fixed the blanket to properly cover it up over Hyunjin's body then leant down to kiss his forehead.

Now, cuddling with his husband is always Minho's favorite thing to do in this world. Seungmin is warm and his warmth automatically spreads throughout Minho's body too and it made him calm everytime they cuddle. Seungmin was laid comfortably on his back while Minho snuggled on his side, also being careful not to accidentally hit the bump on Seungmin's belly, he turned to caress it instead.

"I'm sorry if I got you worried earlier, the baby must have felt it too huh?" Minho pauses and looks down to stare at Seungmin's bulging belly, then he whispered, "I'm sorry, baby, I should know better than that."

"Hey, it's fine, he must've understood you too that you're tired and all, he didn't even kick me." Seungmin's small voice somehow made him breathe out of relief.

"Still I made you worry." He pouts.

"Well, is there something I need to be worried about?"

"No, I- just don't think about it, it's-" Minho sighs, if he will not tell his situation to his husband, they both will not have a good night sleep tonight and he can't have that. He knew how Seungmin always preferred the former option than to keep quiet and avoid the matter.

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it, as long as you're okay."

"It's fine, I- I want to tell you anyway." Minho sighs and shoves his face into the crook of Seungmin's neck while his hand was still rubbing small circles onto his bump.

"Okay then, I'll listen."

"I messed up. I messed up the ingredients of this dish and the customer got angry and talked to my manager- and he suspended me from work, Minnie." He felt like a sad child who tells what makes him sad to his mother, except that he has his husband right beside him instead.

Minho was suspended from his job. He was sent home by the manager of the restaurant he's working in after he had messed up the dish he had made for this one customer. It was peculiar for Minho to mess up the dish he took years of training just to perfect it but we all have bad days.

"Oh, baby. I'm sorry." Seungmin thought it's also strange but he also thought that Minho being suspended from work during holiday season will not going to be bad.

"I'm suspended for the whole month, aren't that a bit much?"

"First of all, thank you, you came home with me." That's the important thing that matters, when Minho has a bad day, Seungmin will not care about it that much because he knew he can ease him up that easily- he's the husband after all. Seungmin will have a bigger problem if anything goes otherwise, if Minho got frustrated so much over the situation and that he won't come home and Seungmin can't have that possibility to happen so he's very grateful that the first thing Minho did was came home to him.

"I don't have anywhere else to be."

"And I love you more for that."

"Aren't you mad at me? I don't have work for a month."

"So? Look on the bright side, you gotta spend a month with me, it'll be more enjoyable than a week's holiday vacation together somewhere. I don't mind the place and I'd rather choose here, our home, that doesn't matter if I'm with you. And Jinnie will have two weeks vacation from school too, so..." Even the bright smile on Seungmin's face is agreeing to this, God, he loves his husband so much. He's always so positive minded. Minho loves him so much.

Since Seungmin is on his leave from work due to him being pregnant, the situation Minho was in felt like a blessing in disguise.

"I'm worried about my bank account." Minho sighs again, "and no, we can't touch our savings, mine is for the kids' future and yours is for you when you will be giving birth."

"We saved enough. We have enough to sustain us in a month or even longer, oh my god, you're worrying too much. It's just a suspension and it's just for a month. Don't worry too much hmm?"

"I love you and your positive mind, but I can't really help but worry. What if they don't want me back?" Minho's voice came out as a whisper when he said the last statement. He treasured his job so much, he loves his job so much. It was hard for him to get it and he can't just let it go.

He's about to become the head chef of this restaurant, and him messing up a simple dish is not a good impression at all, it's a minus point for him. But he ain't worrying about that right now, being the head chef! He just wants his job back, he worked really hard in getting his title and even for landing a job in his desired work place.

Years ago, Seungmin was still pregnant with Hyunjin, Minho was frustrated and desperate to have a job already, he trained hard, he worked hard- he got a pregnant husband and he needed to find a job. That's why Seungmin thought this felt like a deja vu. He still remembered those frustrating days when Minho was angry with himself that he slammed the phone every after call that always started with "I'm sorry, Mr. Lee, we blah blah..." He still remembered those days and the look Minho has that day, he saw it again earlier on Minho's face. And he knew how much Minho loved his job (not more than Seungmin for sure, he knew Minho will flip the world for him, and well, he would do the same, jobs be damned), but he loved what he does and that's why he got worried over it now.

Seungmin rubbed a palm comfortingly over Minho's chest, "you're so great, baby, you're the best chef they have and they are stupid if they will make that move."

"You really have that high look on me huh, you believe me that much?"

"The same way you believed in me when no one else did." If it's not for Minho's consistent cheering and constant love that Seungmin made Minho his inspiration and motivation to do what he really wants and not to be dictated by his parents, he wouldn't be here today.

Minho smiles, feeling like a big torn has been plunged out of his chest, "okay, I forget for a moment that I have a stubborn husband. You wouldn't stop until I calm down and believe you that everything will be okay."

Seungmin giggles, "and it will be. Oh, even the baby's agreeing with me hmm? He's softly kicking in my tummy."

Minho immediately looked down to stare at his husband's bump again, "thank you, little one." He managed to bend down and kiss the bump again.

"And thank you. I love you so much. You know, just like I told you in my vow that whatever situation I am in, I promised to always come home." Minho says sincerely once he looks up to his husband's face again. If he has bad vibe enegry coming out of his system earlier, this time's different, looking at his husband right now with so much fondness and love made him feel warm all over and he loves this feeling, he can't have it any other way. So he leans forward, closing the small gap in between them, catching Seungmin's lips onto his, moving them against his, it was unhurried and soft and chaste that it overflows with love.

Minho has both of his palms cupped on Seungmin's cheeks, he has his world cupped securely in his hands, "I love you so much."

"Just like I said in my vow too that I will always be here for you. I love you too so much." Before they could continue the moment though, a soft knock could be heard on their door.

Seungmin leans his head onto Minho's chest, eyeing the door, "it's not lock, sweety." He announced and not long after, the door was softly opened, Hyunjin with his bed head hair and puffy eyes and sad frown on his lips, came in through the door and stood stiffly by the foot of his parents bed.

"What's the matter, honey?" Minho asks.

"I'm sorry if I'm disturbing you but what's with the hushed voices? You both sound serious." Then he swallowed while looking at his parents, trying really hard not to spill a tear in front of them. Hyunjin is always like this, he could sense trouble and he could sense their stress and that he felt worried if something happened and he will cry over those things even without understanding them.

"Aw, baby, come here." Seungmin beckons him over. Hyunjin slowly rounds to the side of the bed and dips himself into the comfort of his parents bed.

"Sorry if we wake you up with our hushed voices, love, but we're okay. Daddy just have a minor issue but it's okay now." Seungmin says, swiping Hyunjin's bangs away from his forehead, the dim light of the room did a poor job of allowing him to clearly see his son's perfect face.

"Oh, okay."

"Don't be sad now, everything's fine. You can cuddle us for the rest of the night instead hmm? How's that?" Minho smiles and wiggles his eyes suggestively because he knew how his son hated cuddling them, said he's too old for that. And judging by the quick changes on Hyunjin's look, Minho could already tell. Seungmin laughs softly, it vibrates on Minho's chest.

"Ew, no! You'll get all sappy and disgusting when you're stress!" Hyunjin squirms free from Seungmin's hold.

"Dada, let me go! I have a party to attend tomorrow night and I need my beauty rest!"

Seungmin laughs, "alright, alright, good night. Enjoy your beauty rest." He then lets go of his poor son but not after planting a kiss on his cheeks. Hyunjin didn't wipe it off but he has a really twisted and disgusted look on his face, sighs, gone all those days that Hyunjin still ran towards him and begged to be cuddled up and always stealing kisses from him.

Once Hyunjin left and back to his own room, Minho snorts all of a sudden, "please tell me, the party tomorrow is for children?"

"Yes, babe. It's a Christmas party in his school with his friends and classmates."

"He sounds like he'll be attending an adult party, God, why is he so dramatic? Where did he get that trait?"

"I'm sure it's not from me." Seungmin deadpans.

"Yeah, well, Doongie's the dramatic one, Dori's the cutest baby, and Soonie's ever the calm one. So it's gotta be from Doongie, right?" Minho blinks sleepily and yawns.

"Sure. Let's get some sleep." Seungmin smirks at his husband, but he lets that slide for now, he leans up to kiss Minho on the lips. It was only a short kiss then he leaned back down to Minho's chest, letting his husband wrap his arms around him.

The point was, whatever happened, Minho was not alone, his husband, Seungmin, is there with him along with their kids. They are always there for him when bad days happened.