It was a little windy today; Heechul sauntered the road, counting each step he took as he finally braced himself to come back to the house. No—he did not come with a clear mind. He did not come after he finally sorted out what had been bothering him; matter of fact, his mind was still a jumbled mess. But he wanted to come back; he needed to see his sons. He gulped and breathed through his mouth as the words "his sons" repeating in his head. And just like that, he was playing around with his anguish until his feet brought him in front of the big house that he did not know whose to refer. 

A million unnamed feelings were flowing through his body but he ignored them all. He wanted to see his angels and by the end of the day, if someone wanted him to go again, he would but only after he assured his sons he was not leaving them. He sighed when he looked ahead. It almost felt ironic how his fingers worked faster than his brain to punch the pin on the intercom before he even readied himself to enter. 

But it was now or never. 

"I'm home—" 

His breath hitched. Blood rushed immediately leaving his body when he saw Hyukjae in the living room, crying. His body was trembling, and Nara was in front of him, holding a piece of paper Heechul did not know what, without even trying to soothe the crying boy. 

"W-what happened?" 

Hyukjae did not waste any time when he heard who was coming. It was his Maw; he could seek comfort from his Maw. But before he even managed to stand up, his Mommy had shoved him back to sit still on the couch. It scared him to death but he barely had a choice. But it was not for Heechul. Seeing how Nara treat Hyukjae, Heechul's limbs began to tremble, the pounding in his chest getting louder and more of disarray. He nearly could not breathe when Nara pushed Hyukjae back as if the kid had not been in tears, looking all frightened. 

"I'm asking," Heechul forced out before he dragged his gaze to her, not even thinking of backing down now. 

"What happened?" 

Nara only glared at him but he did not care. She eyed him from head to toe and smirked. The hell she thought about him; he gave no damn. All he wanted to know was what the ing reason for her to dare to lay her hands on his sons. 

"Heechul-ssi," Nara tilted her head, glancing at the paper in her hands. 

"I think you're spoiling the kids way too much."

Heechul sighed in disbelief, already tired of the passive-aggressive bull. 

"As the child of a professor, this kid is surely stu—" 

"Hyukjae, come here," Heechul instructed, being polite be damned. He grabbed the kid's hand and brought him to go out of the house. Just anywhere—anywhere far from the toxicity his biological mother onto him. It was far too familiar for Heechul to face yet another poisonous woman. 

"M-maw... I—" 

Heechul stopped abruptly and hugged Hyukjae in the middle of the sideroad. It hurt him seeing another innocent kid had to bear the pain he never deserved in the first place. 

"You don't have to worry. Maw is here, Hyuk."

«────── « ⋅♥⋅ » ──────»

"I didn't study last night."

Heechul sighed, staring at the poor kid who seemed to be in the mood to be colder than the wind. He took the empty cup from Hyukjae's hands and cleaned his hands with a wet tissue. It was his way of stalling. He was not ready to proceed to the next step where he should ask why Hyukjae did not study for his test because he knew why. He knew he had to be a part of it. Heechul pulled the boy closer and wrapped his arm around his tiny form comfortingly. 

"Maw is sorry, Hyuk. I shouldn't have left you last night."

Hyukjae hid his face on Heechul's side, shaking his head. He felt that tears were already pooling in his eyes and even though he knew that he could cry in front of his Maw, all his confidence was drained by what had just happened. If only his father had stopped his Maw last night, he would not have been scolded by her. 

"Daddy is a moron." 

Heechul almost flinched when Hyukjae's quiet words reached his ears. He never expected that word came out of his son's lips. He peeled Hyukjae's body off him and crouched down in front of him so he could see him eye to eye. 

"What did you say?"

Hyukjae got scared in an instant when Heechul suddenly behaved strangely. But albeit tears falling, he repeated the word he just learned. 

"Daddy is a moron."

"Hyuk, do you know what a moron is?" 

Heechul noticed Hyukjae's gaze hardening. 

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