“Kyungsoo-hyung!”

The doe-eyed male laughed at the sudden burst of excited exclamation came from Jongin. He kneeled down as he opened his arms to welcome the younger into his embrace. The child giggled lightly and wrapped his smaller arms around Kyungsoo’s neck tightly.

“Jonginnie, you’ll choke me to death if you do that”

He made a weird gurgling noise in his throat to emphasize his words and laughed once again when he was greeted by another giggle from the boy.

“No you won’t,”

“Jongin, leave the poor Kyungsoo alone”

Kyungsoo gave a reassuring smile to Jongin when the child pulled back slowly and looked at him worriedly.

“Go on, your father is calling you”

He gave a pat on the boy’s small shoulder and stood on his full height as those small legs ran from him and dashed into Yifan. The child bumped his body onto his father’s leg then his arms found their own ways around Yifan’s waist as he buried his face into his father’s stomach. Puffing his cheeks a bit and blew a warm air through Yifan’s dark blue sweater.

Yifan chuckled then ran his hand on Jongin’s soft hair as his other hand righted the boy’s dark grey sweater as it went down slightly on the cub’s shoulder. He could see a slight tanned skin around the edge of his son’s shoulder but he shrugged it away, thinking that Jongin was getting rather active lately and it was good for the child’s sake.

“Hey hyung. It’s good to see you and Jongin outside,”

The oldest between the three gave a non-threatening glare,

“I tried to take him outside since forever and he’s been enjoying this just about a week ago, thank you very much for reminding”

“You’re welcome, hyung. Glad to help even just a slightest bit,”

A soft snort.

“Right…what are you up to?”

The younger gave a soft sigh whilst propped his hands on his waist. His eyes were searching something.

No…rather, it was someone.

“I was accompanying Suho to buy a bag or two. He said his old bag got torn a bit wide so he needs to get one immediately, but…”

“But what? Where is he anyway?”

He turned his head around to spot a certain maroon-haired male only to no avail. His ears caught an exasperated sigh came from the doe-eyed male.

“That’s what I want to ask to you before Jongin yelled my name. I guess you don’t see him as well then–”

“Kyungsoo-hyung!”

“Speaking of the lost lamb,” the doe-eyed male muttered.

Yifan's sharp eyes saw the certain maroon-haired male ran to Kyungsoo while holding two plastic bags in one of his arms. The youngest adult among them was panting slightly as his upper body was propped by his hands on the knees.

“Suho!? Where were you!?”

He didn’t miss the slight flinch of guilt from Suho as Kyungsoo yelled to his cousin worriedly.

“Mianhae, hyung. I was too absorb by this book I saw on the bookstore display,”

Kyungsoo sighed as he closed his eyes and shook his head.

“Just– don’t do that again okay? I was worried about you Suho-ah”

Yifan saw the doe-eyed male’s cousin gave a nod before a smile was painted on the pretty face. He didn’t realize he was holding his breath or a slightest hitch of his breath. He may had notice this the very first time he met his other-half look alike, but he never expected Suho to be so…

…so beautiful.

Both Junmyeon and Suho were the prettiest males he’d ever saw in his life. But both of them did not always have similar things. Whilst Junmyeon was beautiful, almost like a woman’s beauty, Suho was far from that. He held a boyish frame in his face but the beauty radiant somehow glowed differently yet similar?

He himself was confused by these…similarities between Jongin’s mother, related not by blood, and this young adult in front of him.

Somewhere in his heart, he could hear a whisper,

They’re different…

But where were the differences so far except for their family background and age?

”…-hyung? Yifan-hyung? Are you alright?”

He was pushed out of his trance as he saw a hand waving in front of his face. He shook his head a bit, several untamed strands of his hair fell down to his forehead and covered half of his thick brow, framing his perfectly sculpted face handsomely.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m sorry, I was daydreaming perhaps”

He had missed a faint blush on Suho’s face as he was busy trying unlatched Jongin from his legs. He sighed when Jongin only giggled and clutched onto his leg and buried his face even more into the father’s thin yet warm sweater. Although the weather was nice and warm, Yifan could not leave his habit of wearing sweaters whenever and wherever as he was always fancy them like he fancy his jackets and hoods.

Old habits die hard.

Contrary of him, his son did not really like jackets and sweaters like he was. The child would usually wore them when the weather was cold or in winter times. Today was an exception because Jongin wanted to try out the new sweater Yifan bought for him.

Then he blinked in realization for an absence of a certain doe-eyed male.

“Where did Kyungsoo go?” he asked Suho.

“He said his mother need his help in the kitchen so he has to hurry back home and uh… he told me that I’m at your charge,”

At my charge? Great, Kyungsoo and his odd choices of words.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to take care of Kyungsoo’s cousin. But he was just– how should he explain it, the awkward feeling was still lingering on him and the petite male wherever it was only the two of them. He was afraid he might give a false interpretation to the younger and it would lead them into an even more awkward situation. He couldn’t have that now, could he?

“U-umm… You don’t have to agree with that, hyung. I’m fine by my own–“

“No no, it’s okay. It’s just that…I didn’t expect him to put you under my watch,”

He saw Suho wrinkled his nose cutely at the mention.

“I’m not a kid, Yifan-hyung. And you realize that too,”

He gave an amuse laugh at the younger’s offended tone.

“Of course you’re not,”

“I’m serious!”

“And I as well, Suho”

He gave another laugh when the maroon-haired male jutted his lower lip out while the brows wrinkled down in dislike, cheeks puffing a bit.

And he said he was not a kid.

“Alright, alright. I’m sorry… I was just pulling your leg,”

“I don’t believe you hmph,”

He saw Suho averted his eyes to the side, avoiding his amuse stare and smirk, with arms crossed in front if his chest. He would be having fun teasing the young adult in no time. But now, he had a promise to fulfill for his cub. He took Jongin’s small hand in his bigger one and smiled down to the confused child. Only when he gave a wink did the child understand his intention as Jongin gave him a big grin and a cute laugh.

He turned his attention away from his son to the still sulking young adult. He shook his head in amusement then let his feet led him to the younger with Jongin on his side. He stopped right in front of Suho, just about in his arm length, and moved his hand up slowly to ruffle the maroon mane none too gently.

“Yifan-hyung!”

The petite male swatted his hand away then glared at him. A deep chuckled rumbled from his chest before he made a motion with his hand as he walked away from him.

“Come now, Suho”

The younger was busy tidying his messy hair into its original state, although it made no difference because his hair was a bit messy at the first place. He was more concerned with his bangs though before he realized Yifan was talking to him.

“Huh?”

“We’re going to the park!” Jongin gave an excited shout to him.

~

“Jongin don’t run too fas– nevermind,”

He heaved a sigh as he sat himself down on a wooden bench at the side of the park they were at. He threw a non-threatening glare to Suho who sat beside him when he giggled.

“What?”

The smaller male shook his head while still giggling away. He shifted a bit in his spot then lowered his hands on his lap, his posture was elegant yet adorable for any eyes which belong to anyone who came across those two male.

“Nothing. You look so worried just now,”

“I still am. Damn, Jongin will see me as an old sap sooner or later so I would want to enjoy this while he’s still adorable,”

By all means, he really meant it. Soon his child will grow from a youngling into a teenager and then a full-grown adult. The phase in between the teenager’s age was never a good one with rebels, hormones, curses, associations, girlfriends, boyfriends, hormones– wait…he already said that.

And one he most feared of among all of those, was Jongin would go away and locked himself from him. He knew, because he was once a teenager too, his cub would experience those things he named above. He once locked himself from his parents, he didn’t share his stories about how were his days went and whether if he had a girlfriend or boyfriend. None of that anymore. He was so secretive to his parents because he thought his parents didn’t understand him and his needs, his life, his feelings.

That was until he lost them at one night, right after the day of Luhan’s 23^rd birthday.

He knew then, why he felt all of that.

Because he never told them any of it.

How would they know it if he never told them at first place? How would they know his either high or low grades if he was the one who never told them?

How would they realized he had had bad days back then in junior high if he dashed away into his room without even looked at his parents’ worried faces?

How would they know he was not okay with their departure to Italy because he felt something bad will happen to them, instead he just gave a nod as an approval because he couldn’t help it when his mother asked his permission with a very longing face?

He regretted every single of it. He regretted all of it. Because he never had a chance to kiss his mother’s cheek and hugged his father. He just walked away from them and locked himself in his room, blasting away his ears with his headphones on, head bobbing into the beats.

He never had a chance to say goodbye to them.

He never had a chance to hang around with them frequently since he hit his puberty age.

He never had a chance to say he love them and wished them a safe flight.

But he would be a liar if he told them the last one right? Because clearly they did not have a safe flight at all as they ended up on graveyard. Lay beneath the green grass and beneath the ground, sleeping peacefully next to each other. At least both of his mother and father still have each other till the end of their lives. Until death separate them.

But their death only made them unite again because they died at the same time, at the same place, with a same thought.

‘I never regret loving you’.

It was written in their letters. They wrote each for him and for Luhan.

He remembered Luhan cried immediately the moment he received the letters from Baba and Mama. The older sat heavily on their family couch with the papers crunched in his hands. While Yifan…he walked slowly into his own room. He did not lock it that time as he read the letters, from his Mama first then his Baba came the second.

He remembered his legs were shaking badly that it couldn’t propped himself up on his feet. He collapsed on his knees, chest heaving with choked sobs, fat tears ran down to his face and his heart was throbbing painfully. So painful that he almost couldn’t breathe properly.

One of the letters stained by droplets of his hot tears, smearing the ink and wetting both if his face and those papers as he muttered apologizes and regrets, feeling the silence and suddenly bone chilling room. He was piqued by his own stupidity and obliviousness.

Ever since the death of his parents, he changed.

He changed into the young man his friends knew now.

He had changed into a new Yifan. A great yet dorky friend, a loving father and a wise and mature man everyone loves.

He hoped…he wished that Jongin would never experience such things he has had back then. He didn’t want Jongin to experience the great remorse and self-loathe.

He really hoped for that. And if the child ever would…

…he’d be there for him and never give up.

Just like what his parents had done to him.

“Hyung? Are you okay?”

He shut his eyes as he clenched his hands momentarily before he blinked at Suho who was staring at him in puzzle and worry. He gave a small reassuring smile to the maroon-haired male.

“I’m…fine. I’m fine,”

He was more likely assuring himself rather then Suho. It had been a while since he had a flashback about his past and his parents.

“You sure? You look so…different just now,”

The older male blinked before averting his attention away from the laughing Jongin several feet far from them to the still worried Suho.

“Different…how?”

“You…you looked sad, gloomy even. You had this…this dark expression on you then it was replaced with a…a pained one…? I-I’m not sure, I’m sorry if I’m just guessing around,”

Yifan’s eyes went blank for a few seconds before he closed his eyes and sighed softly as he ran a hand through his golden mane. Head turned back as he stared at Jongin’s standing small figure on the grass as the child crunched a few dried leaves.

“I had a flashback of my past,”

He could feel Suho’s eyes were set upon him as he spoke.

“It was about my parents,”

His sharp brown eyes never leave his son’s figure as the child was running around and giggling away.

“O-oh…you fought with them?”

He blinked slowly, “No…I never have a fight with them,”

He propped his back comfortably onto the wooden bench’s back rest, arms folded above his chest and legs crossed one another.

“I had a flashback of how stupid I was back then for not realizing that they were always there for me. I was such a fool for not giving them any of my concern. I never realized it until they left us,”

“…U-us?”

“Me and my older brother,” a sigh. “ I hate myself back then. Why didn’t I realized it sooner, it would’ve had change everything. ,”

He rubbed his temple as he felt a familiar feeling stirred somewhere inside of him.

Guilt.

“I was too late to say it all. I was too late to say I love them as much as they love me and my brother. I didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye to them, dammit”

He was clenching his hands right now. He channeled all his anger into his fists and he curled them even harder than he already had.

“I’m an idiot. A giant idiot with a large capital ‘ I ’ and a failure”

Yes, he was.

He watched his son throwing dried leaves to the air and watched them in awe as the child laughed. A smile crept into his face and slowly, his body fell relaxed under the simple and peaceful view.

“You’re not an idiot, hyung”

He turned his head in surprise.

“What?”

Suho gave him a smile as the petite male tilted his head to the side.

“You’re not an idiot nor you are a failure. What kind of idiot and a failure could raise a sweet and adorable child who has sweet personality?”

The older male stared for a long time as he processed the younger’s words.

“Jongin wouldn’t be this loving child if it weren’t for his parent. You raise him really well, hyung. Only a few single parents can do things like this,”

Suho turned his head away from him and watched Jongin with the same smile on his pretty face.

“I don’t know what kind of life you have in the past with your parents until it makes you think like this. But I’m sure you still have chance to make a better living, here in the present, with Jongin and the ones you love. It’s not too late, hyung”

For a moment, he was captured by the words uttered from Suho. He never knew the younger could say such wise thing like one he heard just now. Because he thought Suho was only a boy, a smart and genius, also he did not forget the fact that Suho came from a rich family. Kyungsoo mentioned it once, he forgot when.

So to hear those words and the sincere tone in the petite male’s soft voice had just…made everything felt right at the moment.

A better life, a better living.

He still had a chance to make his own life with his little cub to be a better one than his old life. It was not too late for him to do so.

Yes… that was it.

That was it.

Unconsciously, a small and barely visible yet sincere smile slowly curled up in his lips before a light chuckle rumbled in his chest. He noticed the younger threw a confused look at him when he finally met the maroon-haired male’s soft brown eyes with his dark brown ones.

“I guess I’ll try it,”

He smiled along with the younger when Suho finally blinked then gave him a beautiful smile.

“You have a beautiful smile Suho,”

He turned his head away from the young adult and stared at Jongin who was crouching down on the grass. He didn’t realize his words just made the petite male beside him blush a cherry blossom. Apparently, even he himself did not realize of what he had said for it was uttered spontaneously because of the beautiful scene.

A faint rustle of plastic bags and a soft sigh emitted from both him and Suho filling the comfortable silence among them. Leaves were blown by the cool breeze, their hair became unruly but none of them cared. The air was nice; it filled their lungs with refreshing green and baby blue feelings and relaxing their mind also their taut body.

“Yifan-hyung,”

“Hmm?”

“I uhh…thank you,”

Yifan was still watching Jongin who sat on the grass now with something in his arms. The child looked like he was holding some kind of…

“Whatever for, Suho?”

For a few seconds the other didn’t gave him any reply. So he assumed it was nothing, until…

“Thank you for taking me here,”

His eyes flicked to the corners as he gave a lazy lopsided grin to the younger. He knew it the gratitude was not only for taking him to the park, there was something else hidden beneath it. But he decided not to pry it off until the younger came into a decision to tell him himself. It was nice to have a friend you can talk and share with.

“Not a problem, Suho. Not a problem,”

“Appa!”

“Jongin?”

“Look!”

As Jongin yelled excitedly at him the child revealed that something he was holding in his arms, cradled into his chest with careful. His dark grey sweater was a bit hiked up on the tummy and Jongin's hair was disheveled.

His breath hitched.

It was... a kitten.

A/N : Annyeong~ how are you all? For sure I'm betting you are all as excited as I am because of EXO's Growl MV! WOOHOO!! man they seriously wrecked my 2nd bias list =A= (Don't worry Kris, you're still hold the 1st place ohohoo). OMG Tao and his handsome y face and THOSE ARMS, oh God Kai and his cape fell and he sweep it like a boss back onto his head again. Suho even stepped on Sehun's leg == HAHA
gosh, I love them all hurrhurr.. why can't Kris have more muscles /cries and his hair, I'm fine with it but I prefer his messy hair T^T /ahem bed *cough* hair *cough cough*

Alright alright enough with my fangirling, now onto the chapter. Any of you got the hint of his dream now? ;) Do tell me your thoughts and I'll see about it HOHO

I've revealed my first card and there will be more to go~

But for now, enjoy the Krisho moment and hopefully you get the hint of Yifan's dream ;)

Forgive me for typos and grammatical errors.

Christian_Wu