"It's alright, Mom. No need to buy food. I'm cooking."

Heechul put down his phone and continued helping Donghae with his pajamas. He smiled and gingerly smoothened the little boy's hair before he got up, letting his son play on the couch while he strolled to the kitchen to begin cooking. 

"Who's calling?" Jungsoo said, walking to the living room with his laptop. 

"Mother. She's having dinner here. The meeting stretched longer as usual."

"You're cooking?" Jungsoo stopped mid-track, looking at Heechul busy cutting the carrots. 

"Yeah. It's edible, Prof. Park. I promise."

Jungsoo beamed. He almost could hear Heechul's pouting from the distance. He laughed a little and put down his laptop, not forgetting to give his second son a smooch on the cheek, earning a whine from Donghae. He observed the table and clicked his tongue when he realized he forgot to grab his charger. He ran to the bedroom, got his charger, and went back to the living room only to find out that Heechul was struggling with cooking and carrying Donghae on his hips. 

He sighed and approached the duo. 

"What's wrong?"

Heechul turned a little and smiled, "The monster inside him is angry," which Jungsoo could easily translate as his son was hungry though he remembered Heechul fed the toddler an apple an hour ago. Noticing that Heechul was having a hard time continuing his cooking, he tactfully took over Donghae's body and comforted his son in his arms, rewarded by Heechul's sweet thank you. He walked to the dining room and put Donghae down on the highchair, serving half of a banana to feed his little angry tummy. After Donghae had been quieted thanks to Mr. Banana, he was intended to go back to his work when he glanced at Heechul and thought that messing around with his husband was not a bad idea. He missed hearing the younger's whining. 

Heechul was cutting cherry tomatoes for his salad when a pair of veiny hands grabbed his waist from behind, making him yelp out of surprise. He elbowed the culprit and was immediately punished with a tighter hold and sneaky kisses on his shoulder. 

"You're heavier than Hae, Prof. Park."

But of course, his husband was even more stubborn than his son, insisting to hug him all the while stealing the tiny tomatoes on the bowl. 

"That's for the salad. How are we—" 

"Why are you cooking, Maw?" 

It was Hyukjae; Heechul could tell easily albeit the persistent huge koala keeping him still.  

"Grandma is having dinner with us."

He saw Hyukjae come closer beside him, seemingly interested in his cooking but oh how he was so wrong. Hyukjae did exactly what his Daddy had just done a while ago, snatching some tomatoes and popped them into his mouth, giggling. 

"I swear to Holy Mother of tomatoes, that's for the salad—"

But before Heechul even finished complaining, Hyukjae had eaten another piece and fed his father too, who had stood behind Hyukjae, avoiding his husband's wrath. Heechul was desperate; his precious cherry tomatoes were almost gone. 

"Hyukjae— Don't feed Daddy—" 

"Uhm."

Now, this female voice was none other than Nara's; Heechul just shrugged it off. Jungsoo snapped at her and his immediate thought was about his mother's coming and her encounter with Nara. It would not turn out pretty, if not ugly. 

"My— My mother is coming for dinner. So, I hope—" 

"We've met, Oppa."

Heechul shivered on the nickname but he was not as affected as before, not even minding her presence, only focusing on his dish. 

"We've met when I and Heechul-ssi fetched Donghae in his daycare."

«────── « ⋅♥⋅ » ──────»

It was not a surprise that tonight's dinner turned out to be insanely awkward with the invisible yet palpable tension floating around the table. But of all people, Heechul was the least bothered. It was not his problem and he had no intention to be involved. It was already a headache for his and Nara's relationship alone. Instead, he helped Donghae to eat the carrot soup and let the rest enjoy the heavy air. 

"Maw, can you help me to cut this meat?" 

Heechul turned to his older son, smiling. He aided Hyukjae with his knife and sliced the meat into bite-sized. It was nothing new that his meal was full of his helping the kids with their meal. And it was also natural that Jungsoo would occasionally feed him so he could also eat. But in this situation, he could not help but get mildly perplexed when a spoonful of food was in front of his face. He looked around and it seemed that his hesitancy made Jungsoo realize what he was doing. Both women were staring at them but with a different mood. Ho