“I’m not going to be around when Jonghyun sneezed, ever again.”

Kai and Luhan sat at the park bench, eyes drowsy from the aftermath of their cold. Resting inside blue stroller, Kim Ruka laughed in joy, too precious to understand his parents’ miserable look and heavy sigh. It was frustrating and in the same time healing to finally reunites with the baby after three days suffering. It was so adorable, the most beautiful being in this world, raising his palms up in the air with excitement.

“I’m not going to have before bath time, ever again.” Luhan said his own resolution in answer to his husband’s groan, all in while reaching Ruka’s small fist, caressing it gently.

“Whaaat?!” Kai chuckled helplessly, “that’s unfair. I need to recharge as soon as I came home…”

“God, don’t say that here, people will think we’re creeps.”

“Right, right, suddenly there’s public in our marriage life.” Kai mimicked Luhan’s gesture and held their son’s free palm. It made the little one squealed again to get reconnected with the parents and Kai watched the happiness from such small being with a proud grin. His face hurt, his heart hurt, but damned it, he can take all the pain for being so dramatic as long as they’re here now, together again.

“I’m sorry, little one.”

Kai muttered softly at Ruka, “Appa brought disease home. Won’t happen again, ok? I promise.” He leaned down to kiss Ruka’s palm gently, yet deeply, hopefully somehow his kid understood he didn’t mean to harm his little family. He’s never been a perfect being, always stumbled by his flaws but he was willing to admit fault and fix mistake.

“Appa…”

Next to him, Luhan leaned to his side, sighing dreamily, “you don’t apologize to me. That’s unfair.”

Kai laughed. “No way.” He turned at his blushing wife, so adorable with pink cheeks and pouty lips, “Are you jealous right now?”

Luhan playfully hit him on his jacket, “I’m not that shallow, I just remind my husband that I’m also the victim here. At least be responsible. Kiss me better, for starter.” And Kai just did it. He smooched his beautiful wife, no doubt and hesitation, only determination and sweet obsession. It stopped the time around them, wrapped the young couple by the pink petal breeze of cherry blossom. It’s the season of love, after all.

He can feel Luhan smiled as the time ticked and the kiss ended before it went beyond the boundary of propriety. “Now treat me Tom Yum’s hotpot,” said the sly boy, “lately my tongue craves for something hot and spicy.”

Kai harrumphed, “How about something hot and salty? I can give you that.”

“APPA!”

Luhan snapped at him, face exploded in crimson red. Kai cackled so loud at such priceless sight, his recovering throat felt like burning again. He turned away from when he coughed, his chest strangled and his eyes watered. Only when Luhan brushed his back soothingly, Kai started to calm down. He started to feel better. “Ah,” after taking a deep breath, he muttered hoarsely, “I think we’ve been outside long enough.” He stood, watching Luhan tucked Ruka’s blanket with a content smile “let’s warm up somewhere.”

Luhan stared at him, eyebrows furrowed. He caressed his wife’s face, silently answered the concern about his health.

I’m okay.

I’m complete now.

.

“Welcome!”

Horoscope Café was always so cozy with wooden booth seats covered in heap of pillows, a comfort against dark industrialist design of stone floor and exposed structure. The open kitchen offered hospitality from the cook team to customers. The menu was simple, customized and then calculated by the cashier. It could be traditional dish, international, or a fusion of both. Rumor had said the owner was just love cooking so much, her café should offer an everyday menu, a homemade menu often invented by Mums and Grandmas.

Kai was a regular here, but only on his third visit with Luhan it was revealed that the angelic looking owner was actually Luhan’s one and only Aunty. Oh Eugene, the mother of Sehun and Seokjin. She’s the one who blessed Kai and Luhan’s wedding even though she never met him until Luhan was six months pregnant. She’s the one who dressed Luhan in such extravagant wedding gown and also the one who literally raised Luhan since the beginning of the boy’s life.

Kai could gladly lift Aunty and spun her around in happiness to tell how thankful he was. but that’ll be creepy thing to do, so instead he dropped to his knees and bowed deeply in greet, apologizing for being such a nuisance by marrying Luhan without bless. Even as Aunty scolded him to not  kneeling on dirty floor, Kai only smiled in relief.

Thank God, he said to himself. Even though it seemed Luhan had a hell of past, at least somebody cared about the boy. Luhan wasn’t completely alone and hopeless.

.

“You should come here often.” Aunty’s word to his wife startled him from reminiscence. The first thing she did every time she met Luhan was always checking on the boy’s face, the frame and then started to give motherly scold advice. “You need to eat a lot of green, remember? It’ll enrich your milk with nutrition. Don’t eat spicy stuff too much and no junk food. You’re a mother now.”

“I know, I know.” Luhan giggled.

“God…” Aunty sighed as she cupped Luhan’s cheek, “you’re a mother now…”

“And you’re a grandma.” Luhan leaned down to kiss the shorter mother on the cheek.

“Right. Now step aside so I can see my grandson.” Aunty playfully pushes over Luhan to lean down at Ruka’s stroller, “who’s my little angel?” the mother tickled Ruka’s gently, playing with the baby for a while before she glanced up and acknowledged Kai, standing nearby with this stupid smile plastered on his face.

“Omo, don’t just stand there like decoration. Kai, what do you want to eat? Just tell Hyoyeon whatever you want, son. It’s on the house, remember?” That’s also the dilemma. Ever since he was known as Luhan’s husband, he can eat for free. Aunty Eugene even wanted to return his money for the previous months he became regular. Kai immediately refused it. He didn’t want to be such an insolent man who took advantage of Luhan’s family for his own benefit.

‘Okay, but from now on, you don’t have to pay. If you ever dare asking for bill I’ll return it 100 times, do you understand?’

Of course he only nodded in deep respect. No point in arguing with a mother.

“Come on, boy. Go eat with your husband.” The cheerful woman playfully elbowed Luhan and snatched Ruka out of the stroller. Proudly the woman held their baby, showing off her ‘grandson’ at every regular in the shop. Kai watched Luhan, there’s a pinch of sadness in his wife’s gaze and since he didn’t want to assume, he approached the boy and slipped his fingers into Luhan’s palm.

“Hey.” He called.

Luhan stared at him, immediately smiled warmly, “hey.” Their hands entwined, “do you think Hyoyeon-Eonnie would make us hotpot?” the mother asked softly, as together they walked at the counter where a blond cook expertly put finishing on savoring Carbonara pasta. Kai greeted the girl with a snicker.

“Eonnie, could you make two jajamyeon for us?”

“Appa!” Luhan whined.

“Aish, it’s you two again.” At the sight of them, Hyoyeon grumbled. She rang the bell and gave the plate to awaiting waiter, “how many times I told you, no love quarrel in front of single lady. You hurt my eyes.”

“Eonnie, you’re married now!” Luhan pointed at Hyoyeon in protest.

“Legally.” Hyoyeon snorted. “But, did you see my woman here? Did I work while making kissy face with her? No, right? And I’m damn pregnant and hormonal and that has to go away for stupid Conference for a ing week. So no, you better stop sending signal with each other and just make up your order now or I’ll give you Soondae. We had some in the fridge. This customer came the other day and ordered Sundaeguk. Then my baby decided it doesn’t like Soondae and I would be GRATEFUL if you help me getting rid of a bunch of those from my sight.”

“Hotpot for two then.” Luhan immediately wrapped their order with slight terrified smile. Even Kai unconsciously slipped behind his wife like a coward. He was thankful the mood swing turned Luhan crybaby instead. He couldn’t imagine if Luhan thought he did nothing right, or worse, if his existence is a mistake in his wife’s life. Even it was blamed on hormones, it’s still hurt.

“Okay, thanks Eonnie!”

Luhan finished the detail of their order and strangely Hyoyeon was back to look serene as if the outburst from before was only in Kai’s vision. He blinked and still in autopilot as they slipped into booth, sitting next to each other.

“What’s wrong, Appa?” Luhan asked.

“Nothing. Just…” He glanced at the spring sky outside the tall window, and then smiled sheepishly, “I thought after everything, I know how to deal with pregnant people. But today I realized I only learn what I needed to keep up with you and Ruka. I had no idea what to say at Hyoyeon, or what to do with Kyungsoo.” His gaze dropped at the table, his mind swirled with hazy reminder of Soo’s last visit.

He clenched his palms, he didn’t want to remember.

He wished he was too dizzy to read into situation, but he could see it clearly that Soo was actually trapped in deeper than he thought. Still, he didn’t want to interfere, didn’t want to make wrong assumption and only wished to forget the moment of Soo crying for the first time. No words, no sound, just tears dribbling down as the boy made a hasty exit.

‘What’s wrong with him?’ Sehun chirped in confusion, and Kai wanted to roar and flipped the table, causing scene for nonsense. Don’t talk about him like that! You don’t know what he’d been through. Deep in his heart he wanted to scold Sehun for being such an inappropriate bastard, even to stranger. There again, it’s useless to explain. People like Sehun and Chanyeol –even Lay- won’t understand it. Would only pity Soo’s tragic story if they heard it and then they forgot it. So he stood and grabbed Luhan’s wrist, silently pleaded his wife not to speak a thing about his friend all in while asking for a cup of tea.

.

“Hmm, maybe that’s why a family started by a husband and a wife.” Luhan muttered thoughtfully, “so people could be focused with their own life, instead muddling with others.” When he stared at the boy, Luhan blushed slightly, “I don’t expect you to be expert in reading Preggers, you needed to be midwife for that, Appa. But I’m glad you care. I mean, you’re such a good man and a good friend.” Slowly, the gnawing insecurity in his stomach is drifted by his wife’s looming presence and soothing words. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Not a good husband, yet?” He started to be at ease.

“ husband, yes.” Luhan cupped his face and stole a light peck on his jaw, “still my husband though, mine.”

“Always your husband.” Kai chuckled in return, “Your only husband.”

Their hands easily entwined again in between them as Kai muttered, “Let’s stop now before we anger Eonnie again.” And Luhan answered it with such beautiful laugh; it filled every part of Kai with relief and showered him with love, only love.

*

I got draft from chapter 23, which is not put in here because it's a little bit 'intense', you can read it here

enjoy!