Warning: language

Baekhyun blinked a couple of times, not taking notice of the baby cries gradually ceasing to quiet whimpers in the background.

“How can I help you?” he asked the stranger but before he could properly look into the stranger's eye, he saw the distraction in them. Baekhyun frowned, looking back over his shoulder to see you peeking out of the babies' room.

“I'm Lee Junho,” said your trainer, watching as Baekhyun turned back to face him. “I came to see your wife.”

“In what matter?” asked Baekhyun, confused and a little perplexed as to why was someone like him looking for you?

“She forgot-”

“Oh! Junho!” you came rushing down the corridor, holding the baby's head securely in your hold as you went to stand next to your husband, his arm somehow sneaking around your waist once you stood next to him. “What are you doing here?” you asked a little breathlessly, unsure about what to make of his sudden appearance at your house. You were very taken aback and a little worried. He was quite nosy, so him coming to your place didn't sit well with you. And now he was back at your door?

Baekhyun's arm unconsciously tightened around you, ignoring the baby in your arms completely, his hawk eye set on the strange man that you seemed to know and be even friendly with.

“You forgot your sweater at the gym on Thursday,” he told you and handed you a pretty gift bag, waiting for you to take it.

You frowned. “But I didn't-” you blinked a few times, trying to remember what was happening on Thursday besides you being an irresponsible mother. “I didn't change my clothes,” you murmured eventually, heat creeping up into your cheeks as you took the bag and had Baekhyun hold it. He took it with his free hand and let you peek inside, checking the piece.

When you still didn't recognize the clothing, you started to think you must have gone crazy. Maybe it was Baekhyun's shirt that you didn't recognize? How could you not, you were the laundry fairy in the house; you even knew each stain of every clothing in the household.

“Do you feel better?” asked you Junho, not waiting for your confirmation about the sweater. “You must have gone through a hard time on Thursday.”

You looked back at him, forgetting the sweater completely. “Eh, yeah, I was just fine,” you replied, absent-mindedly.

“Thank you for helping out my wife,” Baekhyun spoke up out of nowhere, probably observing the situation and putting two and two together. Junho was your trainer. 

Junho dragged his eyes back to Baekhyun, meeting his gaze rather intensely. “Well, she was very shaken up. I couldn't leave a beautiful woman by herself, could I?”

Your heart started to beat louder at the tone of Junho's voice and at the choice of his words. The way he said the word beautiful and let his gaze graze you for a second before returning it back to Baekhyun's stiff posture… He was thinking about you being beautiful the whole time? He seemed like he was challenging Baekhyun into an invisible fight and that was quite the surprise. In a way, it was also quite the challenge since Junho knew you were married, yet he dared to talk to your husband like that.

“Ah, it was alright-”

“Well, she was not alone,” rebutted Baekhyun, still calm. If he was angered by Junho's words, he didn't let it show, but it certainly did not sit well with him; the way he called you beautiful as if you were any woman. “She was with her good friend who would have taken great care of her.”

“I find it hard to believe; father not being present with the mother that has to take care of three kids.”

“Junho,” you spoke up in warning and, Baekhyun once again tightened his arm around you. You didn't understand what had gotten into the male.

“And your business into our family?” growled Baekhyun, slowly getting agitated. “I'm seeing you for the first time and I don't like you coming to our apartment just to bring a sweater that doesn't even belong to my wife,” he snapped angrily. “Whatever excuse it was that you needed for you to come here.”

“It isn't any of my business. But she is young and home alone for most of the days, and having to take care of all the matters by herself is difficult. You should take better responsibility and make sure she is fine.”

“Junho, what the hell?” you managed to snap as well, not liking how him and Baekhyun were talking as if you weren't present. Junhee was in her blissful obliviousness, her head in your s, magically always finding them.

“You're not the one I will tell how hard I try to make it all work,” said Baekhyun sharply and you were slowly getting a bad feeling about this. Goodness, don't let these two start a fight over a complete misunderstanding?

“Don't be ridiculous,” you told Junho, “all is fine. I don't need you to watch out for me nor my family.”

“I'm sorry, it was just so sad to see the empty apartment when we arrived.”

You felt like laughing in disbelief, especially when he pulled the puppy eyes at you. He looked incredibly cute and handsome but you could sense the sternness of his eyes when he shot a look at Baekhyun who went rigid at the word “we”.

“It was okay,” you repeated in a small murmur as you grew uncomfortable in the tense air. Baekhyun's hand left your waist.

“Thanks a lot for your concern,” added Baekhyun. “And thanks for the free sweater I guess.”

Just then, as if all the Gods were standing on your side in that moment, another baby started to cry, bringing the fruitless conversation to a halt.

Feeling Junhee’s mouth on your clothed , opening and closing around nothing in particular, you quickly shook your head. “I'll see you another time,” you said, wanting this to be over.

“Remember what you promised?” asked Junho after he nodded in understanding. “I'll wait for your message.” He looked at Baekhyun whose face became a complete rock. He was hard to read and, with anxiety bubbling in your tummy, you tried to rake your brain over the last time you saw him like that.

“Good luck. Take care of your wife or someone else will.” And he turned around, not bothering to go down with the elevator, instead taking the staircase.

You exhaled a small breath of relief, your body deflating before giving Baekhyun's profile a wary glance. “Honey-”

“I'll start preparing lunch,” he muttered to you quietly and he closed the door. Without looking at you, he turned and disappeared in the kitchen, leaving you with Junhee in your arms and a crybaby to take care of.

<3

You were changing Juna's diaper when Baekhyun reappeared in the doorway to the babies' room. The little nursery corner was right by the door, so he just leaned against the doorframe, his hands pushed into the pockets of his joggers as he watched with a frown how your hands worked, not even noticing Juna's smiley eyes looking up at you when you blew a raspberry against her baby tummy.

He spoke your name slowly, bringing your attention to him. At once, you looked up expectantly. The way he was acting a little distant made you somehow disconnected from him and that was something you never wanted to experience. “Can we talk?”

“Of course,” you breathed, too fast. “I’ll just finish this-” you skillfully fastened the nappy around Juna's tummy before dressing her into a cute one piece. Since you knew Baekhyun wanted to have a serious talk, you put Juna back to her crib, hoping the triplets would be okay without a little attention from the both of you for a bit.

Baekhyun waited for you and then you walked to the living room, ending up on the couch, sitting down; Baekhyun was facing the front while you were sitting sideways, wanting to see him well.

“Tell me what's on your mind,” you requested softly, reaching out to caress his shoulder. You didn't think he would become a little cold but he came to talk to you. So you wanted to listen. 

He looked at you when he felt the touch, his eyes softening when he saw the way you were looking at him. “I know you must be shocked at what Junho said and, trust me, I am too.”

“I don't like him,” he said matter-of-factly. “And, sweetheart, he obviously doesn't consider you just as a customer.”

You pursed your lips. “I've been only twice there.”

“And yet, you managed to blow him off his feet,” he said, somehow teasingly, making you giggle. “Which I don't like,” he added, his small smile diminishing and with it yours too. “What did he mean with the promise?”

You clicked your tongue. “It's nothing.”

He quirked a disbelieving eyebrow at your simple, but non-satisfying answer. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“I mean it, Baekhyun,” you shrugged, “I just said I'll contact him once I'm ready to start over.”

“You won't start over. At least not with him and not in his gym.”

“But Sukyeong is going-”

“No,” Baekhyun said strictly, his eyes piercing through you. “I don't want you to go to that gym anymore.”

“Why? Just because he is caring?”

At that, Baekhyun pulled away from you in disbelief as he faced you on the sofa. “Caring? You're joking, right? He likes you.”

“Just because someone calls someone beautiful doesn't mean they have a crush on them,” you rebuked, getting furious quite quickly. You didn't like the way he told you what to do. You didn't like the tone of his voice and neither did you appreciate he could do whatever he wanted just because he was your husband. 

Baekhyun was observing you with a very serious expression, not entertained by your answer. A small storm was visible in his dark, cloudy eyes and you felt like you said something very wrong. Wordlessly, he was taking in your countenance as if calculating you and whatever it was that went through your mind that he couldn't seem to decode. “It's not like that, sweetheart,” he told you finally. “The way he looked at you-- no” he stopped himself, hating even the idea. “You won't be meeting him again. He is a creep!”

“You're jealous,” you stated the very obvious. “You just don't like that someone actually finds me pretty?”

“What?”

You dared to push out your chin. “You heard me. Someone else is interested in me so now you are trying to pull me back to hide me?”

Stunned, Baekhyun let himself rest against the couch, his eyes almost drying out as he wasn’t blinking. “What’s gotten into you?”

“Nothing, but I don’t like how you’re acting, Baekhyun! I feel flattered that he thinks of me as someone pretty - after all, look at the way I changed! I’m only twenty-two but I lost my lean body and my hormones are going crazy… you know you don’t have a reason to be jealous but for once someone shows interest and you want to hide me!”

“You’re my wife!” He raised his voice as well, but still kept it in an acceptable tone. You didn’t hear how your words sounded in Baekhyun’s mind who understood them in a completely wrong manner than that of your intention. You were a taken woman, why was another man’s opinion important to you? His words should be the only words you deemed important. “What makes you think I like another man ogling at you? Had I known that kind of a man is teaching you I wouldn’t have let you go! You even found him hot, too - you admitted it,” he added in a menacing tone, his eyes shining with anger.

Baekhyun wasn’t jealous often, that was true. He was a man who could keep it together and mostly, if he caught another guy staring at you, he’d feel pride because you were always his. Ever since you entered womanhood you were his. But now, the way your trainer just pushed himself into your private life and knew too much, he didn’t like it one bit.

“I was trying to tease you!” You snapped loudly. “Because you’re so busy with working that I just wanted some attention from you! I only ever want your eyes on me, not another man’s!” You inhaled, feeling your eyes burning up. “And yes, it feels nice to be appreciated by someone else. You have women staring at you whenever we as much as go grocery shopping and it makes me feel so stupid. You’re dressing up to impress your students, Baekhyun, and if you think all your lady students are innocently looking at you, you’re wrong. And I trusted you with Jiyoung-“

“I never gave you a reason to doubt me with Jiyoung,” growled Baekhyun through gritted teeth but you didn’t cower. You had a lot to say out of nowhere.

“I don’t care. You were busy with her enough. I met Junho twice and he got overly attached. That isn’t my fault and you shouldn’t be punishing me for that!”

“I’m not punishing you, I’m worried about you,” he emphasize