Sehun walked into the eerily quiet home of his feeling drained of all energy. He felt tired all the freaking time and with such a tired body and mind, it was hard to be happy and cheerful. In fact, everything pissed him off.

He sighed in annoyance as he looked at the cold, dark, and huge house of theirs with no signs of life. If there were children there to welcome him, that would be nice.

He smiles a little thinking about his nephews and niece and how lively his brother’s house was even if the children were asleep. Their toys were always there, their pictures hung everywhere… children really bring life to the house.

He quietly opens the door and felt his heart pinch painfully. His wife was asleep… peaceful and alone. God. He had not been there for her all this time and it broke him and yet as he inched closer to her and watched her sleep… he noticed her youthfulness and it pained him.

She was still not ready to welcome a child… not even discuss them. She was a child herself, in a sense and he does not want to punish her with motherhood now. She has gone through enough.

He lets out a miserably long breathe and trudged himself into the bathroom. Maybe in some years… maybe in some years.

Children

“Sehun,” Minseok pulled his second cup of drink that night as the two men talked over drinks to release stress from work, “I don’t want to seem nosy but who is this Baekhyun that Minah keeps mentioning every single time your wife is talked about.”

Sehun stilled for a second hearing that name from a friend’s lips. Why on earth was that punk creeping up here? For goodness sake, he was out here in Japan!

He instinctively takes a sip of his whiskey and shook his head. “A friend. Their friend.”

“Hmm…” His friend nods but gives him almost a pitiful look. “They sound really close.”

He lets out a loud sigh and grunted. “Yeah. They are.”

“I guess it’s an age thing,” Minseok continues as Sehun downed his first glass and asked for another. “We always feel closer to people our age.”

Sehun scoffed a little at that but kept quiet instead quietly drank his drink. Valentine’s Day had already gone by and his day had been fully scheduled. Unlike the last two years where he spent with his wife, this year they had spent it apart. He was miles and miles apart from her after all.

He lets out another sigh, “There seems to be never-ending work in the office.”

Minseok laughs at that and patted his shoulder. “Cheer up, lad. It gets better. You just managed to join at the busiest time.”

Cheering up was so difficult when all the stress was accumulating, the name of a certain boy kept popping up whenever his wife was involved, and… he never felt so distant from her.

Even this morning as they talked, she was talking of things he doesn’t know or care about. It felt as though she was running far away from him… and he can only watch from now. And it was sad how because he wasn’t replying to her talking, she sounded annoyed. He had some things to do as well.

“Are you even listening, Sehun?” She had asked. It wasn’t like she did not know he was tired and also not a morning person. Besides she was driving to class and talking about some rumors like a gossip girl that she usually was not.

He was tired and really did not want to argue because he felt like it was coming. He was not in the mood to listen to her nag so he had snapped at her and told her to just ‘have fun with your friends’, perhaps not in the best tone.

She had kept a stony silence after that and he did not want to apologize at all so he had just cut the call.

“Is your wife okay?” Minseok asked as if he could read his mind. “Minah told me she was pretty upset so this Baekhyun guy helped cheer her up by dedicating a song for her in one of their performance today… That was why I asked about Baekhyun. I hope she’s okay.”

Dedicated… a song?

Sehun couldn’t help an annoyed scoff escape his lips. Of course, that boy with a voice worthy of being a singer and with charms enough to pull the moon down… Kina would like him, wouldn’t she?

“Your wife’s sweet… But I think she gives off a wrong impression.” Minseok gave him a stern look, “I understand that she wants to keep her married status a secret since she’s just a student… but I think she should keep a distance between herself and other boys. That Baek boy seems to… I don’t know, be close to her… and not really in the most platonic way.”

“That’s exactly what I am thinking too!” Sehun almost laughs that someone finally gets what he had been feeling. Jongin always scolds him for thinking like so, telling him to trust Kina more every time he brings this up.

Insecure? Nope. He wasn’t. What does Jongin know? That guy wasn't married. Minseok was... wasn't he?

“She’s already married to me,” Sehun blinked tiredly and pointed to himself, “I am her husband. Why does she need other close male friends? Hmm?”

“Yeah. I think married people should just… maintain their distance from the other .” Minseok nods grimly, pushing another glass to him. “It really gives off a wrong impression.”

He downs his glass and heaved a sigh. “Finally. Someone who understands.”

Minseok quirks an amused brow at him then burst out into chuckles. “I am just a conservative person, Sehun.”

But Sehun shook his head at him. “No. You don’t understand. My friend thinks it is completely normal and always tells me to be understanding… that I am the one insecure. He never thinks that Kina could be in the wrong too…”

Minseok clicked his tongue at that, worry filling his features. “Your wife… um… seem to be close with your friend too.”

“They are. Can you believe he was her first love?” He scoffed and goes towards another glass. “They’re like gossip girls. Always giggling and laughing… cooking together and even completing each other’s sentences. They have so much in common… sometimes I think she likes Jongin better than me.”

“Don’t you ever think there’s something going on between them then?”

Sehun stilled completely this time, his brain whizzing at the question but then after some seconds burst into laughter.

“No, never! Jongin’s mad about Hyorin.”

“Hmm? That’s good then.”

“But I know for sure that the little bastard Byun. ing. Baekhyun likes my wife and her, fully knowing it just ignores it and let him be.”

“That… that doesn’t sound… good.”

“Of course, it isn’t.” Sehun snarls, “That boy has it all and I bet she doesn’t want to be stuck with a boring old guy for life.”

But so what if Baekhyun has it all? Kina was his wife.

His wife.

Kina was his wife.

Then why is he here badmouthing her? She’s been nothing but sweet to him so why on earth was he here bad-mouthing her like a salty teenage gossip girl?

He groans and downs his glass. God. She hates it when he drinks.

They would fight again if he gets home drunk and calls her up, wouldn’t they?

Kina seemed distracted as well. She had been misplacing lots of things. Something was on her mind but she was not sharing it with him.

Who was she sharing it with? Byun Baekhyun?

He gritted his teeth thinking about how the other day when he had woken up to pee, he had heard her on the phone with that boy, talking about where they would hang out that day.

He scoffed a big scoff and banged his glass on the counter.

Guess tonight, he’ll just not call her.

* * *

Kina sighs and waited patiently for Sehun at the airport. Thankfully it was nighttime and there were only a few people waiting and even fewer at the VIP section.

She smiled thinking about how in just some minutes when the plane touches down, she would be able to hug Sehun. She had missed him a whole lot.

She sighs again a moment later, a frown replacing her smile. Sehun had been quite… detached whenever they talked on the phone. It pained her to know that he was unhappy but she really did not know what to do.

When they were back home at their apartment, whenever he was in a bad mood, she just knew how to please him and make him better. It might just be a cup of nice coffee or a good hug or just some kisses were enough to make him better but right now when it felt as though they were miles apart… all those seemed impossible.

What should she do to make him feel better? What was she supposed to do? This side of Sehun… She was still yet to figure him out.

The plane arrives and she waits for him, half nervous, half excited.

He walked out looking like a zombie along with Kim Minseok who looked a lot better. They walked up to her, say their usual greetings with Sehun hugging her and almost sleeping while leaning unto her.

The entire car ride home, he is slumbering away while Kina merrily drove him home.

“Hun? We’re here.”

It was funny how some months back, he had been the one who took care of him, and now it was he