"Thank you so much, Mr. Park. This truly is a Christmas blessing for us."

Jungsoo nodded humbly, feeling the way Mr. Ji kept holding his hand as the form of gratitude was so genuine, warm. He returned the smile and said, "It was Haeun's idea. She wanted her friends to get Christmas gifts just like her."

Mr. Ji finally let go of his hand as he went to pat his shoulder instead, shifting his gaze to a bunch of kids in the big living room of this orphanage, excited to see so many presents lying under the small Christmas tree.

"What did you get her if I may know?" 

Jungsoo scratched his nape as he was kind of embarrassed to give a generic present for his daughter thanks to his and Heechul's uncreative brain. 

"Well, it's not very impressive if I may say," Jungsoo laughed sheepishly, glancing at Mr. Ji. 

"We get her a big teddy bear and a new terrarium for her toad."

"She keeps a toad?" 

Jungsoo smiled, nodding. His lips stretched wider when Heechul and Haeun—finally done with sharing the gifts—strode to the room, approaching him.

"Mr. Park, I believe that having you and your husband as her parents is her best gift."

Jungsoo had goosebumps on Mr. Ji's kind compliment because the idea of him being a parent was still surreal, even after years. And every time people complimented Haeun or his and Heechul's parenting, he could not help but doubt what they said because up until now, it was Haeun accepting their lack of experience and not the other way around. Haeun was the one who should and always be credited for how she bloomed into a beautiful girl.

"Papa! Thank you!"

And, still, it felt unreal to physically hold his daughter who made their days brighter and way colorful. It was this little princess who always reminded him that Heechul was the best thing to ever happen to him for his presence and for bringing Haeun into their family.

"My friends are happy to get presents. Papa and Mama are the best!"

Haeun, being carried by Jungsoo, gave her Papa a kiss on the cheek for agreeing to her idea of buying presents for her friends in the orphanage.

"Jungsoo?"

Heechul frowned when he noticed that his husband was being quiet, only staring at Haeun intently.

"Uh? Papa?"

Haeun, too, finally looked up at her father.

Jungsoo sobered, blinking thrice, before he smooched his daughter's cheek loudly, earning cheery giggles from Haeun. He let her go to go with Mr. Ji to play with her friends, leaving him and Heechul alone in the entryway.

"You're okay?"

Jungsoo turned to Heechul and smiled as he saw how worried he looked. He nodded and eventually pulled his husband into his arms.

"Thank you, baby."

Heechul was mildly surprised when his husband suddenly embraced him, a little tighter. He sighed and rubbed comforting circles on his back, saying, "What happened? What's with the thank you?"

Jungsoo buried his face on his husband's neck as he whispered, "For coming back to me that day."

-❀-

"Bye guys! See you later! Merry Christmas!"

Heechul and Haeun waved at the kids and Mr. Ji as Jungsoo pulled over from the big yard, leaving the orphanage. Heechul felt that his eyes were getting teary; the look on the kids' faces made his heart tighten. Those kids had to live under the circumstances they did not deserve and still managed to live their lives happily. His tears finally fell when he pictured Haeun as one of them; his guts twisted from just imagining it. Thank God for letting him meet the timid little girl who was now sitting in the backseat, humming soft melodies. 

"Seatbelt on? Haeunie? Chul— Heechul?"

Jungsoo almost braked when he realized that his husband was shutting his eyes, with tears streaming down his face. But when he wanted to ask why, Heechul immediately looked at him and motioned him to shut his mouth, probably afraid that Haeun noticed his crying. He sighed and squeezed Heechul's hand.

"Haeunie, seatbelt— Haeunie?"

However, their daughter, seat belt already strapped, was apparently too occupied to even notice Heechul's little breakdown. She was looking at the paper in her hands as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. Jungsoo glanced from the rearview mirror and was curious about the paper.

"Sweetheart? What is that?"

But Haeun did not budge. Jungsoo and Heechul began to get alarmed.

"Haeunie?" Jungsoo called louder.

"Uh? Yes, Papa?"

"What's that you're holding?"

Haeun glanced at the paper once again and curled her lips.

"It's a drawing from Dongjun-oppa." 

This time, Jungsoo did brake so suddenly. He managed to drape his arm over Heechul but they were all shocked anyway. He started to drive again as he cleared his throat. 

"Who?" 

"Dongjun-oppa."

Heechul noticed that his husband looked a little irked and he should have expected Jungsoo to be the type of alerted father. 

"May Mama see the drawing?" Heechul asked, looking back at their daughter. 

"B-but it's for Haeunie."

Heechul chuckled when he heard Jungsoo cursed under his breath. He smiled at Haeun and tried again, "Fair. But can you show me?" 

Haeun reluctantly flipped the paper and showed her Mama the drawing. Heechul smirked; it was a beautiful drawing. But what interesting was that the drawing told a story. He could tell that it was originally only a boy, dropping his head beside a Christmas tree. But it seemed that Dongjun messily added new scribbles of a small girl giving a present so that the boy was now looking at the present instead of ducking his head. 

"Dongjun is a talented kid. It's so good." 

Again, Jungsoo cleared his not-so-itchy throat. 

"Mama, Papa, can Haeun keep it?" 

Heechul smiled at their daughter and nodded, "Of course. Let's take Dongjun for lunch some other time."

Haeun's face lit up as she beamed, "Really, Mama?" 

Heechul leaned back at his seat and turned to his husband. 

"Sure, Little Princess."

He heard Haeun's excited noises from the backseat but he was too focused on laughing at his husband's sour expression. He knew Jungsoo loved Haeun so much and, no question so did he. But Jungsoo cherished their daughter so much that it was almost understandable for him to act like an annoying father whose daughter was, well, too charming. 

"Oh God, it's starting."

Heechul smirked, "It's too early for that, Papa."

Jungsoo inhaled deeply and repeated, "It's really starting."

-❀-

"Here comes Uncle's favorite niece!" 

Haeun ran to her beloved Uncle Kangin as soon as her father parked the car in front of her Grandma's house. Heechul, along with Jungsoo, followed behind, smiling at the sweet scene of Kangin and Haeun. 

"How are you, Kangin-ah? Merry Christmas!" 

Jungsoo went to hug him and noticed that he had lost so much weight since the last time they met after Kangin came back from Japan. He hoped that things were going well for Heechul's cousin. 

"I'm superb, Hyung. Things are good but could be better."

"It will get better. Trust me."

Heechul suddenly butted in as he came and hugged Kangin, a little longer. 

"How so?" Kangin, intrigued by his cousin's assurance, asked. 

"It's just my Heehee guts that tells me. Trust me, you brat."

As they were enjoying their time, laughing, another car came and stopped just beside Jungsoo's car. And from the loud ruckus they made, everyone knew whose family it was. The chaotic crew immediately ambushed them and turned the heartwarming mood upside down. 

"Heavy loads heavy loads!" Hyukjae said as he carried many bags full of presents, insisting to break the group of people standing in the hallway of Mrs. Kim's house. 

"Happy Merry Christmas, everyone!" 

Heechul almost smacked Donghae for being so loud but he refrained himself as it was a holy day and he did not want to be chastised. 

"You're late, fishy!" Heechul said simply as they all finally got in the house. Hyukjae, already done putting the presents on the floor, approached them. 

"Traffic is bad. Also, we have to come to Mother's house before—" 

All the adults immediately fell into an awkward silence when Hyukjae unintentionally brought up the