Jongin pursed his lips and lamented his lack of clothing choices while Kyungsoo leaned in the doorway of their walk-in closet and shook his head.

"You do understand you're spending the day with me and a sick child, not walking a runway, right?"

Rolling his neck, Jongin flicked the still damp hair out of his face. "If I was walking a runway, I would have dressers fussing over me and a rack of clothes already prepared," he said as he found a pair of artistically thrashed jeans. He made a show of putting them on, slowly zipping himself up. "I want to look good enough you enjoy seeing me around, Soo."

"You hardly need to get dressed up for me to like looking at you," Kyungsoo said, his smile almost shy.

"I want you to be thinking about what you can't see when you see me dressed," Jongin said, a hand over his abdomen.

"I did mention our sick child, right?"

Jongin flashed a grin as he debated between a designer Tee or a sweater. "Soojin said you were going to make her food. What are you going to cook?" he asked as he pulled the sweater over his head. It was soft and Soojin would be more comfortable snuggling against him while he was wearing it.

"Rice porridge," Kyungsoo said. "And I'll probably start some samgyetang for dinner."

"Mm," Jongin said, both to be complimentary and because he enjoyed when Kyungsoo had enough time to cook for them.

"Any requests?" Kyungsoo asked.

Jongin leered suggestively and Kyungsoo rolled his eyes, corners of his mouth twitching as he suppressed a smile. His phone must have been on vibrate, because Jongin didn't hear it ring, but Kyungsoo abruptly pulled it out of his pocket. Before Jongin could be irritated and remind him he was off the clock and not on call -- even if their daughter was sick and it would be a very different two days off than he had intended -- he saw a scowl flash over Kyungsoo's features. It was like lightning, visible and then gone in an instant, but leaving a lasting impression. 

"Who was that?" Jongin asked.

"No one important," Kyungsoo replied as he stepped out of the closet doorway and tossed the phone on their bed.

Uh oh. The utterly impersonal way he spoke was not a good sign. "Oh, did you remember to call your mother and tell her how Soojin is doing?"

The muscles in Kyungsoo's neck stood out as he grit down on his molars and told Jongin everything he needed to know about No One Important. "Yeah. I let her know Soojin is doing much better this morning. It doesn't seem like she caught the cold yet, which is a relief."

"Good," Jongin said, careful not to show his annoyance on Kyungsoo's behalf.

Kyungsoo rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm going to make sure Soojin is doing all right and get porridge started. Do you want me to heat you up leftovers?"

"I'll have some of your porridge, too," Jongin said with a flirtatious wink.

"If that's innuendo, I don't get it," Kyungsoo replied with a glint in his eyes that said he had a few ideas, though.

Jongin smirked as he went back to getting dressed and Kyungsoo left. He waited until he could hear his mate and their daughter -- apparently she not only finished her water but got a second glass -- before he went and shut the bedroom door as quietly as he could manage. Then he picked up Kyungsoo's phone from the bed. He wasn't prying, Jongin told himself. He only needed to confirm what he already knew as he glanced at the missed call on the lock screen.

His mood sank. Of course it had been Kyungsoo's alpha-father calling. Nothing made Kyungsoo shutdown faster than Hyeon Do.

Jongin only knew vague details about what a piece of the alpha had been to his mate and child. Neither Kyungsoo nor Mihi liked sharing those memories much. But it was clearly awful for Mihi to get custody of Kyungsoo in the dissolution agreement. Alphas had preference when it came to the custody of offspring from a formally dissolved mating, especially over alpha children. An omega with no job or family getting fully custody was almost unheard of.

"I need you to stop bothering my mate," Jongin said beneath his breath as he set Kyungsoo's phone on the nightstand.

He had been making his own list of reasons not to like Hyeon.

One, he hated the frigid, emotionally distant mood so much as the mention of his alpha-father put Kyungsoo in. Hated how Hyeon refused to be ignored and would keep calling his son until Kyungsoo gave in and answered. And Kyungsoo would eventually answer, because, if he didn't, Hyeon would start pestering Mihi. 

Two, while Jongin only met the older alpha a handful of times, -- enough to be unsettled by the clear physical resemblance to his mate -- Jongin knew when another alpha wanted to fight. Most alphas tamped down on the genetic inclination to assert dominance in the modern age. But Hyeon was one of those bullies who thought being an alpha was an excuse for him to act however he liked, and hated being near anyone more dominant than him. Which Jongin was, as was Kyungsoo.

Three, during those unfortunate meetings, it was abundantly clear to Jongin that Hyeon was not only a bully, but the sort of close-minded person to be disgusted by two alphas being mated. Jongin didn't care for himself. He'd been out about his uality and in the public eye for ages; he'd heard it all. However, Jongin couldn't stand that look of disgust in Hyeon's eye when he looked at Kyungsoo, at his own flesh and blood.

Four, while Jongin never wanted Hyeon anywhere near Soojin, it rankled him the alpha never asked about his only grandchild. Jongin's own parents were not the most doting of creatures, but they made a  point to see and spoil Soojin whenever they were in the country. 

Five, and most likely why Hyeon was ringing Kyungsoo for the first time in nearly a year, he was constantly asking for money. And out of some filial devotion the did not deserve, Kyungsoo gave it to him.

Jongin growled as he collected his own phone and leaned his back against the bedroom door to make sure no one came in as he dialed the number from memory. His mate wouldn't be happy with him. But, if things went well, Kyungsoo wouldn't have to know. Not that Jongin kept secrets from Kyungsoo in general, but in this instance he preferred to think of it as dealing with an issue so Kyungsoo didn't have to waste his time.

The phone hardly had a chance to ring before there was an answer, "Who's this?"

"What do you want?" Jongin asked without preamble.

There was a long pause and then, "Kai? Is that you?" Jongin gave a noise of assent. Hyeon tended to call him by his working name, and that suited Jongin just fine. He preferred the older alpha not dirtying the name Kyungsoo purred in his ear. "How good to hear from you. I was, uh, attempting to get in touch with my son, you know."

"You shouldn't bother my mate," Jongin said, putting emphasis on the last word. "He's a busy alpha. Now, again, what do you want?"

Another pause that fully conveyed Hyeon's displeasure with how Jongin was talking to him, but he was too pathetic to hang up. "I'm in a bit of a bind right now," he said, as if he weren't always in some trouble of his own making.

"Of course you are," Jongin said. "And how much are you planning to ask for to help you out of it?"

"It's gauche to talk about money between family members. But..." Hyeon cleared his throat. "Maybe we could meet and discuss it?"

Jongin sneered. He did not want to be anywhere near the older alpha, but he needed to wrap up the conversation before Kyungsoo or Soojin came looking for him. "Fine. Text me and I'll decide what works. And don't," he let the snarl in his throat be audible, "bother my mate anymore."

He hung up without waiting for Hyoen's reply, and just in time as the door bumped against his back. Soojin let out a little 'oof' when it didn't move for her, and Jongin stepped aside and opened it. "What are you doing, baby Soo?" he asked. Just seeing his daughter made the irritation melt away, like magic. "You know you're supposed to knock first."

Soojin had a blanket tied around her neck like a cape and she held out her arms to be picked up. "You said you didn't care if you're not in here with Dad," she said, sniffling as he lifted her. She wrapped her legs around his waist. "Dad says to tell you to stop being vain and come watch cartoons with me." She coughed while looping her arms around his neck, wiping her nose on her sleeve. "And he says you look handsome in a bag."

"You weren't supposed to repeat that last part," Kyungsoo said as he came around the corner. 

"Then why'd you say it?" Soojin asked.

Kyungsoo shook his head as he came over and her hair, pressing the backs of his fingers against her cheek and forehead to check her temperature. "Don't worry about it. Porridge is almost ready." He looked at Jongin. "And you, don't take it as a compliment, even your bags are designer." His brow furrowed at something he saw in Jongin's expression. "Something happen?"

"I had to make a call I didn't feel like making," Jongin answered. "I'll finish dealing with it later."

"Anything I can help with?" Kyungsoo asked.

Jongin made sure he had a good hold on Soojin as he leaned forward and managed to capture Kyungsoo's lips for a quick kiss. "Nope. I don't want you to worry about it at all."

---

Had to sneak a bit of plot in. Comments welcome! Hope everyone is doing well.