"Are we having burnt pancakes for breakfast?"

Heechul shivered when someone suddenly planted a kiss on his neck as a pair of arms sneaked around his waist. For a moment, he was stunned, unable to process what was happening until Jungsoo suddenly laughed softly right at his ear, tickling. 

"Your pancakes are gonna burn for real."

He immediately snapped back to reality when he realized that his pancake turned out a little darker indeed. He transferred it to the plate and sighed in annoyance for his own carelessness. Jungsoo could only chuckle watching his husband all panicky over a burnt pancake as he poured himself a cup of freshly-brewed coffee. There was a peaceful silence filling the air that neither of them minded, for the first time ever. It was the silence he wanted to come back to, the silence that eased his heart in the way he barely could explain. The silence was nice, calming until Heechul suddenly spoke for the first time today. 

"You bought different coffee beans."

Jungsoo raised his eyebrows, pausing for a moment before he took another sip and put the cup on the kitchen island. 

"Mom bought it for me a few days ago along with some groceries. I think she took the wrong bag. You don't like the flavor?" 

Jungsoo was taken surprise by the fact that, instead of answering him, Heechul suddenly turned off the stove and put down the pancake batter. It almost made him regret whatever wrong he just said. He was so damn frantic, afraid that he said something that triggered Heechul but when his husband suddenly turned to him and pulled him into the latter's arms, his worry gradually diminished.

"Sorry, Jungsoo."

Sorry— he smiled softly, hugging Heechul as tight; he loved the way Heechul wrapped his arms around his body, warm. 

"Sorry for what?" was a rhetorical question because any answer would not fit as an answer. For him, whatever Heechul was sorry for—

"Sorry for being pathetic and neglecting you and the kids."

—was not something worth being concerned about. He dipped his fingers on Heechul's blond locks, silently asking Heechul to rest his head on his shoulder as he sniffed the lavender shampoo of the latter's hair. 

"No need to apologize," he began, sneakily taking another sniff on the calming scent behind Heechul's ear. 

"We'll always be here for each other, Chul. We have each other."

They began to sway left and right as if they were slow dancing to heavenly romantic music, under the most shining chandelier with some flowers surrounding them. They were so in love and Jungsoo would always be willing to remind Heechul of that. 

"That's what makes us a family."

Heechul's heart suddenly raced—family—he tried to resound the word inside his cold damn heart. He almost cried but his smile outdid his tears. He slowly peeled his body off his husband and smiled at Jungsoo in earnest. 

"Family," he whispered, looking at Jungsoo's shirt instead of his eyes. It was too bashful and he was not ready to look at the eyes who had witnessed almost every side of him. However, he suddenly gathered his courage and brushed Jungsoo's bangs away. He leaned in to give a long heartfelt kiss on his forehead and it just sealed everything he heard today. 

"Thanks, Daddy."

He immediately stepped away and went back to cooking the breakfast, unaware of the fact that his kiss left Jungsoo breathless. And the professor could only gulp, enjoying how his heartbeat played an orchestra inside his chest, romantic sonata echoing sending the butterflies inside his stomach buzzing. A shy smile slowly appeared on his face as he touched his forehead with his fingertips.

God, he was so madly in love.

"Hey, Chul." 

A kiss on his forehead from Heechul—

"Hmm?"