There were another three parcels in the delivery guy’s arms, and Kyungsoo couldn’t help the sigh building up in his chest as he reached out to grab them after signing. He pushed the door closed with his foot after giving the man a half-hearted smile, before finally letting the sigh slip past his lips.

The sight that met him when he walked into the living room was the same as two minutes ago when he’d left.

Jongin was leaning over Jia’s crib, a fool’s smile plastered on his lips as he rattled a toy in front of her. She was responding with gurgling sounds and gummy smiles. Every time she moved, entertained by the sounds the toy was making, Jongin laughed along with her. His eyes were shining as he reached down to stretch her chubby arm or poke at her kicking legs. That only brought on more smiles. Jia was reaching out with her tiny arms towards the rattling toy.

Kyungsoo stopped at the doorstep, the fondness spreading inside him and erasing all annoyance he might have felt in the past few minutes.

Jongin’s soft hair was pushed back, the glasses resting on top of his head, only a few strands of brown slipping through and falling over his handsome face. His smile was so wide. Maybe Kyungsoo was just too deep in love, but Jongin was glowing brighter than the sun. His white shirt’s sleeves were pulled up as he leaned over the crib again, lost in Jia’s world. He didn’t even notice Kyungsoo had returned, until he stepped forward, setting the boxes on the table. Then, finally, he broke his gaze away from their daughter and looked at him instead.

“Who was that?”

“Chanel,” Kyungsoo clicked his tongue, looking down at the boxes. His eyes scanned the boldly printed fonts. “Burberry. And I don’t know the third one. Must be a small brand.”

Jongin let out a hum, his jawline prominent as he turned back to Jia. He reached out to tug on her chubby leg lightly.

“Do you hear that, princess? You got more presents. Who’s gonna be the most fashionable baby out there?” Jongin’s dazzling smile bloomed on his face again when Jia gurgled in response. “That’s right.”

Kyungsoo just sighed again, rolling his eyes when Jongin indulged Jia (or himself) and started cooing and making weird faces again. He washed his hands quickly, throwing a look over the frae of his glasses towards the couch.

“You have to find a way to stop all this,” he ended up saying eventually, dragging himself back to the couch. He plopped down next to Jongin. “It’s been almost three months, and they keep sending her clothes.”

“So? It’s Chanel, it means they made it specially for her.”

Kyungsoo threw his husband a quick glare. Of course Jongin wasn’t seeing the problem here.

“It’s unnecessary. Her wardrobe is already bigger than mine was before I started working for VOGUE-“

“That’s not particularly hard to achiev- Ow!” Jongin recoiled when Kyungsoo’s elbow landed below his ribs. His smile remained unfazed though, as he quickly quirked an eyebrow.

“She’s three months old, Jongin. She’s gonna outgrow all of those before she even gets to wear them all,” Kyungsoo sniffed. “It’s such a waste. Besides, we don’t have any more space in the nursery for all of it.”

“Guess daddy’s jealous,” Jongin coo-ed at Jia again, and Kyungsoo just rolled his eyes, resting back on the couch and leaning his head against Jongin’s shoulder.

He just let out a breath, the smile tugging on his lips. The room was filled with the sounds of Jia’s gurgles, Jongin’s laughter and the loud rattles of the colourful toy.

It was a warm summer day, but it was another warmth that took over Kyungsoo’s body as he leaned back and felt pure happiness filling him up as he watched his family.

Exactly one week later, on an unusually calm Saturday, Jongin brought out the ridiculously expensive stroller he had bought a few weeks earlier.

To say Kyungsoo was excited would be an understatement. Up until now, they’d only brought Jia outside in their yard. But the sun’s rays were harsh, so even those little outings were short and controlled. And now, for the first time, they were going to go out to the park together. As a family. Kyungsoo didn’t even mind the fifty minutes Jongin spent in Jia’s closet, going through all the tiny dresses and onesies she had.

“Look how pretty,” Jongin picked up Jia, now dressed in a baby pink Fendi dress that was still a little too wide for her. He tiny feet dangled as he held her up, the ruffles on her socks making her look like a living doll.

“Okay, Rafiki,” Kyungsoo stepped closer, picking up their daughter. She let out a little sound when he rested her against his chest, arms circling around her naturally as he held her tight. “Don’t forget to get a hat. The sun’s still too bright.”

“Got it,” Jongin grabbed the hat and sunglasses that were prepared on the dresser. “I also packed extra diapers, tissues, powder and sanitizer. I even prepared a second outfit. Just in case.”

“Good boy,” Kyungsoo shone him a smile, and Jongin just grinned. “Let’s go.”

Kyungsoo was giddy in the car, throwing glances towards the baby seat and Jia lulling her head from side to side, occasionally making sounds. Then he’d look towards Jongin, his sunglasses pushing his growing hair back, the lines of his face as sharp as ever. In his white shirt, tucked into khaki shorts that reached his knees, he looked like a preppy student. The thought almost made Kyungsoo laugh out loud, as he leaned his head against the window and remembered their beautiful trip to Cebu. It had been years but Jongin still looked the same.

From the moment they stepped out of the car, people started throwing curious glances towards them. He didn’t know exactly what the reason was. Maybe Jongin’s shiny black car. Maybe the expensive stroller. Or maybe it was something they were wearing? Honestly, after all those years he had sort of become unsensitized to the way Jongin looked to strangers. Maybe even this casual look seemed extravagant in the eyes of others. Kyungsoo didn’t know. He didn’t care.

He threw the light cover over Jia, just in case, as they started walking through the park. Jongin was pushing the stroller, and Kyungsoo was walking next to him. He felt so relaxed and just so happy to be spending some free time with his family. There was nothing else he could wish for.

“I’ll be gone for three days next week,” Jongin said at some point when Jia’s head had lulled to the side, as she fell into slumber. Her cheeks were puffy, and Kyungsoo made sure to adjust the stroller so the sun would not reach her. He just threw a quick look towards Jongin. “I need to go to Taiwan with Baekhyun.”

“Okay,” Kyungsoo shrugged. He just leaned closer to Jongin, arm snaking around his elbow as he just sighed out in content. The sun’s rays felt soft and warm on his skin. He didn’t remember the last time he’d been this relaxed.

“My mom can come by and watch over Jia again,” Jongin continued. “Or my sister. She’s gonna be in town next week. She was asking about you actually.”

“Yeah?” Kyungsoo smiled absentmindedly. He missed Jongin’s sister. It had been a while since they’d met.

“The kids are also curious about meeting their cousin,” Jongin’s smile was audible in how light his voice sounded. “I’m not sure that’d be the best idea though.”

“You’re too paranoid,” Kyungsoo tugged on Jongin’s arm briefly. “She’ll be fine. We’ll talk about it later. I still need to check my schedule for next week with Doyoung.”

“Alright.”

They kept strolling through the park slowly. It was a beautiful day and the longer they walked, the better Kyungsoo felt. Like all the exhaustion from a week’s worth of work and sleepless nights was finally leaving his body.

“I love this,” he ended up sighing when they sat down at an empty bench away from where the bigger crowds were, under the shade of some large oak trees and close to one of the bubbling fountains. His hand slid into Jongin’s, fingers naturally fitting between his husband’s, as they hands moulded together. “It’s been so long since we finally had some free time to ourselves like this.”

Even after all these years, Kyungsoo’s heart still fluttered pleasantly in his chest when Jongin pulled him closer and planted a quick kiss to his cheek.

“Maybe after I come back from Taiwan, we can do something,” Jongin whispered, holding him close. “Just you and me. We can go somewhere for the weekend. Alone.”

“Shh, quiet,” Kyungsoo closed his eyes, resting his head on Jongin’s shoulder. “Jia will hear you.”

His husband leaned closer to the stroller.

“Would you mind, princess? If I steal daddy for a few days?” Jia was still sleeping peacefully, her tiny little fingers curling into fists from time to time. Jongin just leaned back on the bench, a smirk on his face as he threw an arm over Kyungsoo’s shoulders. “See? She doesn’t mind. That’s my girl.”

“Shut up,” Kyungsoo mumbled quietly, just pulling Jongin closer and shutting his eyes again. He breathed in deeply, enjoying the warmth and the faint scent of Jongin’s shampoo.

He couldn’t help the excitement that was bubbling in his chest just thinking about running away with Jongin, even if it was just for a couple of days. Yes, they had a baby now, and their priorities in life had shifted. They had a daughter, they had work. And it was amazing.

Yet, a part of him still craved for only Jongin. Just being with him, away, together.

Maybe they could indulge. It wouldn’t be the most horrible thing they could do. Right?

They started walking around the park again after a while. They bought ice cream and walked with their arms linked. Jongin was pushing the stroller proudly, as they walked past groups of people throwing them curious glances.

Jia started shifting at some point, big round eyes looking up at the blue sky curiously. She was grabbing at the small toys discarded at the side of the stroller.

It was only when the sun started slowly setting, the sky becoming a golden orange, when their entire beautiful day crumbled.

It started with a grimace pulling on a tiny mouth, followed by some more shifting. Then a piercing cry broke through the serenity of the park’s silence.

“Shh,” Kyungsoo whispered, feeling the panic rising the louder Jia’s cries got. Jongin started walking faster, moving the stroller away from the alley where all those people were now looking at them, throwing annoyed glances. He picked up the rattling toy and shook it in front of Jia, hoping that would distract her.

He felt his heart dropping to his feet as she only wailed even louder. He hurried to dive forward when Jongin stopped the stroller at an empty bench. Jia’s diaper was clean, so he ended up stretching his arm out.

“Formula.”

Jongin almost stumbled over his own feet as he leaned down to grab the changing bag. Within seconds, he bottle was in Kyungsoo’s hand.

Jia went silent for about a total of two seconds, before making another grimace, dodging the bottle and crying even louder.

“People are staring,” Jongin remarked. If Kyungsoo didn’t know any better, he’d say his husband sounded nervous. But when he threw a glance towards him he saw Jongin standing tall and outright glaring back at those strangers who dared pry with their annoyed gazes. Most had the decency to look away and hurry on their way. Kyungsoo almost scoffed. If he wasn’t panicking because his daughter was crying so loudly, he’d actually be impressed by how insolently authoritative Jongin managed to look even outside of VOGUE’s headquarters sometimes.

Kyungsoo reached out to pick up Jia, resting her against his chest. He threw the light blanket over her as he started shifting his weight from leg to leg, trying to calm her down.

But she was not calming down. Kyungsoo had now long ago stopped caring about the strangers looking at them. He was instead throwing panicked glances towards Jongin.

“She’s not hungry, it’s not the diaper,” he shook his head almost helplessly. “I don’t know.”

“Maybe it’s all the sounds,” Jongin sighed, throwing another glare towards the people chatting around them.  The distant sounds of cars were also reaching them. Jia let out another piercing cry. “Maybe we should head back to the car.”

Kyungsoo just held his baby closer, his heart constricting every time she wailed in his arms. He nodded urgently, as Jongin leaned down to gather everything back in the bag.

“Try gently pressing her belly,” Kyungsoo whipped his head around at the sound of a woman’s voice. A lady was standing close to them, a little toddler holding on to her hand, as she gave them a compassionate smile. “It might be colic.”

Kyungsoo blinked quickly at the stranger. Jongin had straightened up too, a rather confused look on his face as he peered from the woman to Kyungsoo.

Another loud cry from Jia dragged them back to reality, and Kyungsoo sighed. He held her in his arms and rested his palm on her tummy. His hand was almost bigger than her entire belly. He pressed down gently, just the slightest bit, eyes wider as he watched her little lips twisting as she cried.

And then, after a few gently rolls of his palm, the cries subdued from piercing wails to little whimpers until eventually, the only sound coming from Jia were the occasional gurgles.

He felt the relief filling him up as he threw a look towards the woman.

“Thank you!” Jongin beat him to it, his voice light and breathy.

“It’s alright,” the woman shrugged and looked down to