Jiseon flounced around the apartment giddily, her steps light and packed with a spring. “I’m going to be a noona!” she sang excitedly. “A real live noona! For Uncle Dongwoo and Hoya’s baby! This is so awesome!”

 

Sungyeol laughed at her as he turned his electric mixer’s speed on low. “It’s very awesome,” he agreed. “Come help me rinse the blueberries, okay?”

 

“Okay! Are we going to make your blueberry cheesecake?”

 

“Mm-hm!” Sungyeol replied. “Daddy is going to make his warm blueberry cheesecake for Dongwoo tonight. You know why?”

 

“Because it’s his favorite!” Jiseon chimed knowingly. “Uncle Dongwoo loves your cheesecake!”

 

“Good girl,” Sungyeol praised, patting her head. “When you get older I’ll give you the recipe so that you can make it for Uncle Dongwoo’s birthday. I’m sure he’d love that in the future.”

 

Jiseon nodded, standing on her tiptoes to reach for the bowl of blueberries. “I can’t wait to get older!”

 

Sungyeol grasped the bowl of blueberries and handed it to her then crouched down to peck the crown of her head. “Don’t grow up too fast, princess. Stay young for Daddy and enjoy it, okay?” he said as he smoothed her soft hair down.

 

She nodded obediently then tiptoed up to kiss Sungyeol’s cheek. “I promise!”

 

“That’s my girl!” Sungyeol said. With an exaggerated grunt, he lifted her up on the counter area next to the sink where she giggled and sat down, swinging her legs over the ledge. “Let’s wash these blueberries now, okay?”

 

“Okay,” she said and handed him the bowl.

 

Sungyeol took the bowl graciously, gently pouring the chilled blueberries into a colander. He rinsed the blueberries thoroughly, smiling as Jiseon watched with wide eyes. Her eyes were so curious and full of life that he couldn’t help but lean over and kiss her on her head again.

 

“Daddy, does Uncle Dongwoo and Hoya’s baby like cheesecake?” she asked.

 

Sungyeol chuckled. “I don’t think the baby can eat cheesecake, princess.”

 

“So he’s never had your cheesecake?” Her eyes were wide with disbelief. “Can I give him some tonight?”

 

“No,” Sungyeol replied, shaking his head. “Babies can’t eat cheesecake, silly! Sooyong doesn’t even have any teeth yet, princess.”

 

“No? Can I feed him something else then?”

 

Sungyeol her head gently. “Don’t do anything without asking Uncle Hoya first, okay? He’s in charge of Sooyong. Him and Uncle Dongwoo. So you have to ask them if you want to hold or touch the baby.”

 

Jiseon furrowed her brow curiously. “Why?”

 

“Sooyong is a fragile baby, princess. He was in the NICU for a little bit.”

 

“Daddy, what’s an NICU?” she asked, stretching the word out in concentration.

 

Sungyeol paused, searching for an understandable answer. “...It’s a place where newborn babies go if they’re not healthy enough.”

 

“So, Uncle Hoya and Dongwoo’s baby wasn’t healthy? Why not?”

 

“Because his mommy wasn’t healthy and Sooyong was born earlier than the doctors were expecting.”

 

“Oh,” Jiseon said. “Daddy, was I in the NICU?”

 

“...Yes,” Sungyeol replied, after moments of hesitation. He pulled the rinsed blueberries out from under the faucet and poured them on a clean towel to pat them dry. “Yes, you were.”

 

Jiseon helped him fold the terry-cloth over the wet little berries, her small hands doing a good job of drying them softly. “Was I unhealthy then?”

 

“A little bit,” Sungyeol replied, rubbing one of her hands. “But yes… you’re just a special girl that needed a bit of extra attention from the doctors.”

 

“Was I unhealthy because my mommy was unhealthy? Did she do something wrong?”

 

Sungyeol froze, his thumb pausing over the back of her hand. After a moment, he brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her small fingertips softly. “No, your mother was perfect. But it doesn’t matter right now, okay? All that matters is that you’re healthy and happy now.”

 

She smiled up at him, seemingly content at the ambiguous answer he gave her. “Okay, Daddy,” she responded.

 

He smiled at her and her hair lovingly. “That’s my girl,” he said softly. He leaned his cheek towards her, closing his eyes. “Kisses, princess.”

 

She giggled instead and Sungyeol opened one eye in curiosity as to why his daughter hadn’t kissed his cheek yet. He found her chewing along with a mischievous smile gracing her face. He gave a playful look of offense.

 

“Did you just sneak a blueberry into your mouth when I asked you for a kiss?!” he asked, placing his hands on his hips.

 

She giggled, covering her smile with her hands. “No,” she sang innocently.

 

Sungyeol glanced down at the pile of damp of blueberries, raising an eyebrow as he looked back and forth between Jiseon and the towel. “Are you sure…?”

 

Jiseon giggled and nodded. “I’m positive!”

 

He raised an eyebrow. “Open your mouth, I am going to check.”

 

“No!” she squealed.

 

“So you did eat them, didn’t you!” He tickled her sides, watching as she broke into fits of laughter. “I knew you ate those blueberries!”

 

Jiseon laughed uncontrollably, her tiny sides aching from happiness. “I didn’t even eat that many!”

 

“I need them back!”

 

“I can’t give them back!”

 

“How am I supposed to make my warm blueberry and lemon sauce if I don’t have enough blueberries!?” he cried in mock anger. Of course he had enough blueberries - much more than enough. “Uncle Dongwoo won’t be happy that his cheesecake won’t have my blueberry lemon sauce on top! And who am I going to blame…?”

 

Jiseon only continued to laugh. “Not me!” she said.

 

Sungyeol only tickled her harder in his fake rage, laughing also at the way she couldn’t control her fit of giggles. She was happy and healthy and that’s all he cared about. That’s all he needed to care about.

 

As long as Jiseon was fine, he would be too.

 

He stopped tickling her, letting her recover her missing breath before swooping her into a giant hug and kissing her forehead. “You silly, silly girl,” he whispered.

 

She laughed breathlessly as she held onto his neck and smiled up at him with a bright grin.

 

“What do I tell Uncle Dongwoo when he doesn’t get his blueberry sauce?” he asked softly in a teasing tone. He touched their noses together intimately. “Uncle Dongwoo will throw a fit, princess.”

 

“That’s okay - just tell him you ate them.”

 

Sungyeol pulled away in shock. “Me?” he repeated. “Tell Uncle Dongwoo that I ate the berries?”

 

She nodded. “Mm-hm! ‘Cause Uncle Dongwoo won’t get mad at you.”

 

“Or,” Sungyeol started, “we could just make a sauce with all the berries we have left. As long as you promise not to eat them.”

 

She held up her pink and he interlaced his with hers. “I promise,” she said.

 

He grinned at her and kissed her nose before setting her back down on the counter. “Then let’s get to work, princess. We don’t want to keep Uncle Dongwoo waiting on his cheesecake.”

 

Sungyeol helped Jiseon out of her booster seat and set her on the ground, her tiny fists still  delicately holding the sugary dessert to ensure it didn’t meet an unfortunate demise on the drive over. He had barely locked his car when he heard Dongwoo calling out to them, waving excitedly from the front door.

 

“Come on, hurry in! It’s chilly out!” He did a little dance in the doorway, his bare arms tucked closely to his body as he waited for them to walk up the pathway.

 

“You heard him princess; you can hug him once we get you inside and warmed up.” Sungyeol patted her lightly at the head, watching with an amused smile as she tried to hurry without dropping the dessert.

 

He closed the front door behind him, helping Jiseon out of her coat with some difficulty as she refused to let the treat go. She smiled sweetly up at Dongwoo, clearly waiting for him to remark on it.

 

“My pretty girl, I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages! Look how tall you are, what are you like fifteen now or something?” Dongwoo joked, flicking her nose.

 

She shook her head exaggeratedly, pouting her lips. “No, I’m only five! I’m not old yet!”

 

Dongwoo raised an eyebrow skeptically. “If you say so darling. And what’s this? Did you bring me something Jiseonnie?”

 

“Uh-huh! I made your favorite! Well, Daddy did most of the work, but I added extra blueberries because I know how much you liked them!” Jiseon said proudly, holding out the dessert for him to take. Dongwoo grabbed it in his hand, wrapping his other arm around her little body in a tight hug.

 

“You are the nicest girl in the world! Thank you so much, I’ll eat it well!”

 

“Not until after dinner,” Sungyeol interjected, making his best friend frown and him chuckle. “Seriously Dongwoo? Do I have to lecture you about dessert spoiling your appetite or are you going to behave like a grown up?”

 

Dongwoo rolled his eyes, pulling in Sungyeol for a hug as well. “For the record, cheesecake never spoils anything. And keep up this attitude and someone won’t be getting seconds during dinner.”

 

The taller lifted his hands in surrender. “We come in peace.”

 

“Quit being a dork or your bad habits will rub off on your adorable daughter. Now let me put this up really quick in the kitchen, I’ve got someone special that I want you to meet!” Dongwoo said happily, practically skipping off to his destination.

 

“Baby, our guests are here!” he called out loudly, lifting up the lid of the container to get a whiff of the sugary goodness.

 

They all heard the laughter filter in, although they couldn’t see Hoya. “I can hear them! I’m almost done, I’ll be out in a minute!”

 

Sungyeol turned to Dongwoo, not so subtly scoping out the kitchen to see if there were any treats he could snack on. “What’s the hubby up to anyway?”

 

The blonde grabbed Jiseon underneath her shoulders, hoisting her up on to the counter. “Hoya just finished giving Sooyong a bath. He’s getting him ready right now, so he looks nice and pretty for you two!”

 

“But Sooyong is already really pretty!” Jiseon said sweetly, swinging her legs from her perch. Dongwoo gave her another hug, grabbing at her sides playfully. “Stop it Uncle Dongwoo! That tickles!”

 

“You haven’t even met Sooyong yet, how do you know he’s pretty?” Dongwoo teased.

 

“Because Daddy has shown me lots of pictures of him!” she giggled.

 

Sungyeol patted her on the head with a fond smile. “It’s true; Jiseon won’t settle down for bed until I’ve shown her at least ten new pictures of your little guy. She’s been so excited to meet him, she’s been talking about nothing else all week.”

 

“Is that true?” Dongwoo asked, bending over slightly to be on her eye level. Jiseon nodded, shyly looking down on the ground.

 

“I get to be Sooyong’s noona, right? I get to help take care of him?”

 

“Of course you do sweetheart! Me and Hoya will need all the help we can get from that knucklehead over there, and especially from you!” Jiseon reached out for him again, and he hugged up to her as Sungyeol pouted for being ridiculed.

 

“Don’t you remember things from when you helped take care of me?” Jiseon asked genuinely.

 

“I do darling, I had a lot of fun helping your Daddy back in those early days. But Uncle Hoya wasn’t around when you were born, so he isn’t as smart as me when it comes to babies.”

 

“Hey, I take offense to that. I’m a quick learner and Sooyong adores me.” The three of them turned to the doorway, where Hoya was standing with the baby in his arms. Jiseon and Sungyeol immediately squealed, a feeling of excitement taking ahold of them at seeing Sooyong for the first time.

 

The baby was nearly covered from head to toe, wrapped up in a purple striped onesie, footed and all. Sooyong’s jet black hair was curling out from underneath his matching knitted cap, his fingers clutching in the smooth fabric of Hoya’s sweater as he perched up at his shoulder.

 

“There’s my baby boy! And my bigger boy! Get over here so we can get a closer look at you!” Dongwoo waved them over enthusiastically, fetching a quick kiss from his husband’s lips before dropping a peck on Sooyong’s cheek. The baby seemed to perk up at the sight of the blonde, cooing and reaching out for his face. “Don’t you look so beautiful in your new outfit?”

 

“I doubt we’ve even bought a single piece of clothing for him; Dongwoo’s sisters have pretty much singlehandedly stocked his wardrobe,” Hoya informed them, softly patting Sooyong on the back.

 

“That’s because you’re the best and you deserve it all, don’t you?” Sooyong simply blinked, making Dongwoo chuckle before he returned his attention back to their guests. “As you can see, this is Sooyong! He’s really, really sweet and super friendly… aren’t you darling?” He waved in front of Sungyeol, trying to get the baby’s attention. “This is my best friend in the whole wide world, he hangs out with your daddies all the time, and I’m sure he’ll totally give you a job at Sarang’s once you become a teenager.”

 

Sungyeol laughed, getting closer to Sooyong with a huge smile. “But only if you want it! Although I must say I’d be delighted to see you all the time, you’re such a cute little thing! Are you parents treating you well?” Sooyong cooed, looking back and forth between Hoya and Sungyeol with a pleased expression. “I’ll take that as a yes then.” Sungyeol giggled, waving at the baby.

 

“And this,” Hoya interrupted, turning his body a bit to get closer to Jiseon on the counter. “Is your noona, Jiseonnie! She’s going to make sure that you grow up to be just as smart as she is, isn’t that right?”

 

Jiseon beamed, nodding her head. “Yes! I’ll teach you how to read and write and how to do math and-” She stopped, getting a bit embarrassed at her own zeal. “Well, basically anything you want to learn! I’m so happy to meet you, I hope we can be really close!” Sooyong babbled excitedly, trying to reach out for the little girl while kicking his legs.

 

“Oh, I think he likes you! Developing a crush on our Jiseonnie so soon?” Dongwoo teased, making the little girl blush.

 

“Daddy, can I hold him?” Jiseon asked hopefully, practically bouncing on the counter.

 

“What did I tell you at home princess? You have to ask your uncles for permission.” Sungyeol lectured her softly, tucking her hair behind her ear.

 

Jiseon turned to Hoya, giving her best version of puppy dog eyes. “Uncle Hoya, may I please hold Sooyong? I promise that I’ll be really, really careful.”

 

“Well, Sooyong still needs his bottle… how about we go get comfortable in the living room? I can teach you how to feed him and how to hold him if you’d like.” Hoya said warmly, rubbing his hand soothingly on the baby’s back.

 

“I’d love to! Daddy, can you help me down please?”

 

“Sure!” Sungyeol hoisted off of the counter, crouching down to wrap her up in a hug. “Make sure you are super careful and that you listen to all of Hoya’s instructions, okay doll?”

 

“Okay!” Jiseon agreed, standing at Hoya’s legs and looking up expectantly.

 

He laughed, guiding her to the living room with a smile. “First things first, we always have to make sure our hands are nice and clean before we hold the baby, that way we can make sure that he doesn’t get sick…”

 

Hoya’s voice drifted off, the two of them disappearing into the other room. Dongwoo watched them go with a content smile, until a wild choding attacked him with his too long limbs. “Your little family is so adorable! Sooyong’s so precious, I’m so proud of you!”

 

“Stop it, you’re making me blush!” Dongwoo pulled away from him, grabbing some formula from the cabinet. “Still think you remember how to make a bottle?”

 

Sungyeol grabbed the container from him, a feeling of nostalgia washing over him. “Gosh, it’s been years. But what’s that saying about a bicycle?”

 

“That your gangly limbs make it impossible for you to look cool while riding one?” Sungyeol tried to kick him but Dongwoo evaded him with a cackle. “Keep this up and you won’t get the presents in my car.”

 

Dongwoo swiped Sungyeol’s keys off the counter, grinning widely at his best friend’s pouting. “Looks like I’ll be getting the presents anyway! You really shouldn’t spoil me this way.”

 

“I didn’t, they’re for Sooyong, thank you very much.” Dongwoo stuck out his tongue in response, skipping out the room to go retrieve the gifts from the car. Sungyeol was amazed by how much his body remembered, his hands expertly reaching for the necessary ingredients for Sooyong’s bottle. It made him feel nostalgic for Jiseon’s younger years, moments when it was just the two of them in a too small apartment near campus.

 

Jiseon had been a lovely baby, never giving Sungyeol too much trouble after her initial scare. Even as an infant she was a girl who loved routines, her desire for her bottle occurring at the same time daily like clockwork, a small way of making the single dad’s life easier. But he loved feeding Jiseon, holding her close and listening to her tranquil heartbeat as she drank. It was some of the times that he felt most connected to his little girl, when it was most apparent that she was completely dependent on him for her well being. It made him feel important, like taking care of Jiseon was what he was put on this Earth to do.

 

He couldn’t stop smiling at the flood of memories, staring off into space as he waited for the bottle to warm up from the microwave. He snapped out of his reverie when Dongwoo wrapped him up in another hug, his excited voice ringing through the kitchen.

 

“You’re giving us Bubbles!” He dangled the stuffed monkey in front of Sungyeol, who laughed at his enthusiasm.

 

“It was Jiseon’s idea; she wanted Sooyong to have her favorite stuffed animal.”

 

“Oh my gosh, I remember! She used to carry this thing everywhere! Jiseonnie was probably the only little girl who loved monkeys instead of dolls, but that was totally her Daddy’s fault.”

 

Sungyeol rolled his eyes, pulling the bottle out of the microwave. “Hey, blame my surroundings and the fact that there’s like a gazillion Dragon Ball Z episodes that never seem to stop repeating on Cartoon Network.”

 

“Whatever, it’s adorable! Bubbles is adorable and Jiseonnie is so sweet! I gotta tell her thank you, is the bottle done?” Dongwoo asked, watching as Sungyeol tested the temperature. “Make sure it’s not too hot, or you’ll have to deal with my hubby’s wrath.”

 

“It’s perfect, I’m quite the pro at bottle making; never lost my touch even after all these years,” Sungyeol bragged, handing over the bottle proudly.

 

Dongwoo bowed exaggeratedly, taking the offered item and prancing into the living room. “Special delivery for Sooyong!” He set the bottle down on the coffee table, bopping Jiseon’s head with the stuffed animal. “And this angel right here was sweet enough to give her favorite stuffed animal to Sooyong! She used to adore this little guy, she wouldn’t sleep without Bubbles when she was little. I’m going to put this in Sooyong’s bed so that he can do the same!”

 

He bent down to accommodate the embrace from Jiseon, squeezing her tightly. “You’re welcome Uncle Dongwoo! I hope that Sooyong will like it as much as I did when I was smaller.”

 

“Of course he will doll. Make sure you have fun in here with Hoya, don’t let him be too serious! I know you’ll be able to help take of Sooyong, right?”

 

“Right!” she sang out, giving him a high five.

 

Dongwoo turned to his husband, giving him a warm look. “Just holler if you need anything babe.” He dropped a quick kiss on the top of Hoya’s head, before heading out.

 

“He has such big eyes!” Jiseon exclaimed, staring down at Sooyong.

 

Sooyong stared up at her with said brown eyes, a certain sparkle emitting from them. Hoya chuckled, cradling the boy against his chest as he crossed his legs on the colorful foam floor mats.

 

“They are big, aren’t they?” he replied. “Aren’t they cute?”

 

Jiseon nodded, her tendrils of hair shaking. “Mm-hm!” she agreed. “Sooyong is really cute. I hope I can be a good noona for him.”

 

Hoya smiled down at her fondly. “I know you absolutely will, Jiseon. If anyone will be a perfect noona for Sooyong, it’s most definitely you.”

 

She broke her stare from Sooyong to gaze up at Hoya brightly. “You think so?” she asked. “You think I’ll be perfect?”

 

“Of course,” he repeated assuringly. “Jiseon is smart, pretty, caring and very, very kind. I don’t see anyone else being the perfect noona for Sooyong except for you.”

 

She giggled happily, reaching over to Sooyong and brightening in delight as he curled his small fingers around her thumb. “He’s so little,” she whispered, leaning closer to him. She laughed as he babbled nonsense at her, reaching up and grabbing at her with his other tiny hand.

 

“He may be little, but he’s got a giant soul underneath,” Hoya said admirably, touching the baby’s tummy. “This little guy is a fighter.”

 

“He fights?” Jiseon asked. “Isn’t fighting bad?”

 

Hoya smiled and shook his head. “Not if you do it the right way.”

 

“Does Sooyong fight the right way?”

 

“You bet he does.” Hoya nodded firmly. “And he’ll grow up fighting the right way and fighting for what’s right. Sooyong sounds cool already, doesn’t he?”

 

Jiseon smiled and nodded vigorously. “Sooyong will grow up to be super cool. He’ll be cool Sooyong and I’ll be his awesome noona!”

 

“I know you will,” Hoya responded as he picked up the bottle that Dongwoo had set down. “But first, this tough little fellow needs his milk.”

 

“Ooh, I like milk too!” Jiseon replied. “Does Sooyong like milk?”

 

“No, Jiseon, this is a different kind of milk. It’s a formula,” Hoya said as he propped up Sooyong correctly to prepare him for the bottle.

 

“Formula?” Jiseon repeated, watching as Hoya placed a bib under Sooyong’s chin. “Is that a potion?”

 

“Maybe a little similar.”
 

“But Uncle Hoya, why doesn’t Sooyong drink regular milk?”

 

“He’s not old enough for real milk yet,” Hoya explained patiently. “All babies are on formulas before real milk.”

 

“Oh…” Jiseon replied, hugging her knees. “Was I on a formula?” she asked curiously.

 

Hoya nodded at that also as he made sure that Sooyong was completely comfortable. “You were on formula too,” he said.

 

Jiseon was struck silent as she stared at Sooyong drinking his bottle. The small baby boy stared right back at her with equally beautiful and equally curious eyes.There was something about this tiny boy that seemed to render her speechless and make her awestruck. Looking at him hit a chord inside of her, and while she was too young to comprehend those feelings completely, she just immediately knew that she had to take care of Sooyong no matter what.

 

“...Uncle Hoya,” she began softly. “Can I… Can I hold him?”

 

Hoya looked at her, almost surprised at the bold question. “Can you hold him? Do you think you can?”

 

She nodded vigorously. “Mm! I’m strong!” she responded.

 

Hoya thought to himself for a moment before ultimately smiling and letting go of Sooyong with one arm to pat his lap. “Come here,” he told her. “Come sit in my lap.”

 

She scrambled over excitedly, plopping into the center of his legs and settling down. He wrapped his firm arms around her safely and gently laid the baby down in her arms.

 

“Hold your right hand behind him like this,” Hoya said, moving her soft hands to the correct spot, “and hold the bottle to his mouth. He’ll just start away at it.”

 

She held the bottle and baby in amazement with Hoya acting as a support system. He cradled the two small bodies in his arms successfully, a firm hold on both of them. He rested his head on Jiseon’s and watched lovingly as his favorite niece fed a bottle to his favorite son.

 

Sooyong’s hands reached up apprehensively, tugging lightly on the soft strands of Jiseon’s hair that dangled above him. Jiseon laughed and giggled, thoroughly amused by the baby’s cute little antics. He gave a particularly harsh tug and Jison could only smile and laugh.

 

“You’re right, Uncle Hoya,” she said. “He is a fighter! His hands are really strong!”

 

“Yup, they are.” Hoya paused for a moment and stared at Jiseon in contemplation. “Now that I think about it,” he began, “you were a fighter too, Jiseon. You were really strong.”

 

Jiseon giggled, her eyes fixed on the baby boy in front of her. “Really?” she asked. “I was a fighter, too? I wonder who I learned it from… Daddy doesn’t fight much at all.”

 

Hoya smiled to himself, glancing towards the kitchen where he knew Sungyeol was. “Maybe,” he replied. “But believe me when I say that you wouldn’t believe how strong of a fighter your father was.”

 

Meanwhile, in the kitchen Sungyeol had his hands full with a very curious and unrelenting best friend. He may have been avoiding this particular conversation with Dongwoo, but he wasn’t a detective for nothing. One way or another, his best friend would find out what he wanted to know.

 

“So shall we dance around the subject or just get straight to it?” the smaller man asked politely, a knowing glare in his eyes.

 

“I’m not quite sure what you’re referring to, now if could you be a dear and pass me the bell peppers-”

 

“Seriously Sungyeollie?” Dongwoo whined, but the other kept up the act.

 

“What? These vegetables aren’t going to cut themselves and I personally have racked up quite the appetite; Sarang’s was beyond busy today and the sooner I get to stuff myself with inappropriate amounts of mexican food the better.” The excuse was weak to both of their ears, but Dongwoo decided to humor him.

 

“You know, I know you too well which means I can predict the transparent diversions you would attempt to use against me.” Dongwoo walked over to the cupboard, pulling out a bowl before heading over to the crockpot. He ladled out some delicious looking dip into the bowl, setting it down in front of Sungyeol along with a bag of tortilla chips. “I decided to make my famous queso in advance, just in case you were too hungry to wait for dinner.”

 

Sungyeol bit his lip angrily, Dongwoo’s queso was literally his weakness, and even now he found himself begrudgingly opening up the bag of chips to indulge. “You just had to make the queso…” he complained to himself, already dipping his first chip into the cheesy substance.

 

“Of course I did; it was the only thing that would be guaranteed to hush you up.” He smiled overly sweetly at his best friend, who was pouting as he ate. “I put in quite a bit of ground beef and I used the non-spicy rotel, so Jiseon would be able to handle it. Do you think she’s just as starving as you are?”

 

Sungyeol narrowed his eyes at him before nodding his head in defeat. “Honestly she missed her afternoon snack in favor of helping out with the cheesecake.”

 

“Such a cutie,” Dongwoo mused, making another serving of the queso. He grabbed the tortilla chips from Sungyeol, laughing at the wistful expression that crossed his friend’s face at the loss, and poured a generous portion of chips onto a plate. “Hoya’s probably just as hungry. He’s practically been glued to Sooyong’s side since he got home. I’m going to take this to the two of them so they can have a snack to tide them over until the real food is ready, but when I come back,” The blonde poked Sungyeol menacingly in the chest, “You better be ready to start talking. And when I say talking, I mean the truth.”

 

Dongwoo snatched up the tray, leaving the kitchen without another word. He found his husband sitting on the floor with Jiseon in his lap, helping support her arms that were holding the baby. Sooyong looked as content as ever, happily grabbing at the long strands of Jiseon’s hair.

 

“How are my two favorite kids getting along?” Dongwoo sang out, setting down the tray of food on the end table. He got down on his hands and knees, leaning into Sooyong’s line of vision to nuzzle his nose. “Hello my darling! Are you having fun with your noona? Is our Jiseonnie treating you well?”

 

“Of course I am!” Jiseon said proudly, pulling Sooyong a bit closer to her little body. “Uncle Hoya is helping me hold him, just to be safe. He likes playing with my hair!” She leaned her head down, making it easier for Sooyong to twirl his fingers around the soft brown locks. “He’s so pretty and sweet, I like being around him a lot!”

 

“I’m sure he likes being around you just as much,” Hoya chimed in, lightly Sooyong’s cheek.

 

“Will I be allowed to come over and play with him more often?” Jiseon asked hopefully, her cute little face twisted in a worried look at the prospect of being told no. Dongwoo couldn’t help but laugh, pinching her soft cheek.

 

“Of course you can sweetheart! But only if you finish up all your homework like a good girl.” Dongwoo bopped her on the nose, earning a sheepish giggle from the little girl.

 

“I always do! I even won the spelling bee yesterday! I’m really good at remembering words.” She bragged a bit.

 

“What was the winning word Jiseonnie?” Hoya questioned.

 

“Yellow!”

 

“Wow, that is impressive! You’re such a smart thing,” Dongwoo praised her, patting her tiny head.

 

“I told Daddy that I’m going to study really, really hard so that one day I can be a doctor just like Uncle Hoya!”

 

“Is that so?” Hoya hugged her tighter as she nodded.

 

“Yes! I want to help lots of people when I grow up, and I’ll be a ballerina on the weekends,” Jiseon finished smartly, seemingly proud with her life plan.

 

“Well that’s wonderful news Jiseonnie, I’m sure you’ll grow up to be an amazing doctor and a beautiful ballerina.” Dongwoo turned to Hoya, rubbing him on the back. “I know you’re hungry and Sungyeol told me that Jiseonnie skipped her afternoon snack because she was too busy baking like the angel she is, so how about I put Sooyong in his lounger so that the two of you can eat a little bit? I even made the queso really mild, just for you Jiseonnie! I know you don’t like spicy things.”

 

“Thank you Uncle Dongwoo! I’ll eat it well!” Jiseon replied, her eyes already brightening at the prospect of food. “Don’t tell Daddy, but I really like your queso the best.”

 

“That’s because Dongwoo has a very secret, very special recipe,” Hoya chimed in as Jiseon nodded.

 

“But when you get older, if you play your cards right I might just share it with you. But only if you keep it a secret from your dad because he’s been begging for it for years,” Dongwoo bargained, to which Jiseon energetically agreed.

 

“I won’t tell my Daddy, I promise!” Jiseon said earnestly, smiling brightly at Dongwoo.

 

“I believe you doll.” Dongwoo looked at Sooyong, still lying happily in the little girl’s arms. “Here, let me take him.” He murmured, carefully extracting the baby from Jiseon and Hoya’s combined hold. He paused for a moment to enjoy the feeling of Sooyong in his arms, getting lost in the little boy’s eyes for a second. “Do you want to take a nap after your bottle little guy? You’ve had quite the afternoon with so many pretty faces visiting, haven’t you?”

 

Sooyong simply blinked at him, before reaching out for his face with a gentle coo. Dongwoo kissed his tiny fingertips, before setting him down in his comfy resting place. He made sure to fluff the pillows around him, tucking him in underneath the blanket to fight off any chill. “There we go; this way you guys can keep an eye on Sooyong while you snack. If you want more queso or chips just holler and I’ll bring you some. Eat up!”

 

“Okay baby, we will.” Hoya watched as Dongwoo dropped a kiss to Sooyong’s forehead, then Jiseon’s, and lastly on his own lips. “Have fun interrogating Sungyeol.”

 

“What does interrogating mean?” Jiseon asked cutely, her face scrunched up as she tried to pronounce the word.

 

Hoya picked her up from the ground, tickling her stomach as he set her down on the couch. “It’s a fancy way of saying questioning, and Dongwoo is really good at it because he’s a fancy detective who likes to take down the bad guys.”

 

“So you’re going to question Daddy? Is Daddy keeping secrets?” Jiseon frowned, clearly not liking the idea of Sungyeol being dishonest.

 

“No, me and your Daddy don’t have secrets. I always find a way to make him talk.” Dongwoo ignored Hoya’s eye roll and skipped back to the kitchen, not the least bit surprised to find Sungyeol sulking.

 

“Must you gloat? And quit trying to make your job sound cooler than it is, you’re basically a paper pusher now anyways,” Sungyeol whined, chewing on his chip slowly as he hunched over the counter.

 

“I’m not even going to take offense to that statement, because my sacrifice to give up field work allows me to stay at home with my beautiful baby,” Dongwoo gloated, biting into a particularly crunchy chip to accentuate his statement.

 

“I swear, Sunggyu is getting soft with his old age. How did you even get that approved when you practically had to beg on your hands and knees to get him to approve the week off last summer for the camping trip?”

 

“I’m slightly suspicious that was a personal vendetta on Sunggyu’s part.”

 

“Against the girl scouts?”

 

“In his defense, they did discontinue the Lemon Coolers and he was practically obsessed with them.”

 

Sungyeol nodded in recollection. “That’s right… before he stopped ordering from me, his weakness for those cookies used to take care of half of Jiseon’s fundraising goal. He refuses to buy any other flavor, which is insane because the Lemonades are just as delicious and lemony! If anything it’s an improvement on the Lemon Coolers. Your boss can be such a drama queen.”

 

“Well if that isn’t the pot calling the kettle .”

 

“You need to stop watching Gossip Girl, because I’m pretty positive that’s not how the saying goes.”

 

Dongwoo stomped his foot in a humph. “It’s Grey’s Anatomy, thank you very much, and I’m only watching it for medical reasons!”

 

“Yeah…. cause the y doctors and soapy storylines totally have nothing to do with your marathon watch parties,” Sungyeol drawled out, rolling his eyes in disbelief.

 

“It’s not my fault that I have copious amounts of free time! Sooyong is like the sweetest baby to ever exist and Hoya is gone all day long, so I have to find something to occupy my time.” Dongwoo tried to reason, but the younger wasn’t buying it.

 

“Whatever, just know that if you start calling your husband Dr. McHoya, then I’ll be forced to start restricting your Netflix access.”

 

“I’m the one paying for it, it’s my account in the first place, so-” Dongwoo paused, rubbing his temples. “You know what? This. This is why I’m furious with you right now!”

 

“Because I’m calling you out on your inappropriate Netflix usage?”

 

“No! Because every single time I try to talk to you about something serious all you do is deflect! You refuse to talk about what’s going on in your personal life and you just make me talk about myself! Whether it’s the TV shows I’m watching, or how the case is going, or your personal favorite and my biggest weakness, how wonderful Sooyong is-”

 

“You know that kid is pretty perfect. He’s so cute, especially when he’s trying to latch onto his bottle. Could I see that video again?”

 

“Oh, of course- wait, no!” Dongwoo put his phone back in his pocket resolutely. “See, you just did it again! Stop that!”

 

“Can’t a guy just want to see his best friend’s adorable baby without getting the third degree?” Sungyeol asked somewhat hopefully, although Dongwoo’s stern glare made him feel less optimistic. “So maybe I’ve been a little bit avoiding you.”

 

Dongwoo crossed his arms firmly. “Maybe?”

 

“Okay, not so maybe. And not so little bit. More like, a lot of bit. But you can’t blame me for this! You just have this way of-”

 

“Seeing through your poor excuses?” Dongwoo supplied helpfully.

 

“That, and making me talk about stuff I don’t really want to talk about.”

 

“Sungyeollie, that’s what best friends are for! To force you to own up to your actions and to make you talk about things that make you feel uncomfortable, even if I have to throw a fiesta dinner party to get you at my house and within my clutches.”

 

Sungyeol had the decency to look scandalized. “This was a ruse? I thought me and Jiseon were coming here for delicious food and to cuddle with a cute baby… and you’re telling me that Fiesta Friday was a lie? How could you?”

 

“Today isn’t even Friday, and now we are back to you being a drama queen! Why don’t you just agree to give in to my demands, so that this can go along much more smoothly.”

 

“Is this badgering technique something you picked up from watching too much Law and Order? Or are you more of a CSI kind of guy?”

 

“Sungyeollie.”

 

The younger let out a heavy sigh, resting his cheek on his fist. “Fine,” Sungyeol moped, chewing on his chip halfheartedly. “You may begin your interrogation Senior Detective Jang, you have my full cooperation, and I understand that anything I say can and will be used against me.”

 

Dongwoo ignored the quip at his formal title and his job, opting to pull up a seat close to his best friend. He narrowed his eyes at Sungyeol, ready to begin his questioning. “Care to explain to me why you are trying to undermine my honest, most hardworking efforts to give you a happily ever after?”

 

“I have gone on every single date you’ve set me up on!” Sungyeol defended, but Dongwoo wasn’t having any of it.

 

“This isn’t a Kiseop situation anymore. Every single guy I’ve set you up with over the past couple of weeks has been amazing, and yet you keep finding stupid reasons to turn them down! You’re a saboteur!”

 

“I am not a saboteur!”

 

“Saboteur, saboteur, saboteur-”

 

“Oh my gosh, you are so childish!” Sungyeol cut off his friend’s chanting with a glare.

 

“Says the person who has been avoiding my questions, ignoring my calls-”

 

“Sarang’s has been super busy!”

 

“Not good enough! You know that we always find time for each other, and if I am forced to bribe you into coming over with queso and fajitas to see my beautiful baby, then something is clearly wrong!”

 

Sungyeol sighed, setting down his food. “There is no conspiracy, I have been doing exactly what you asked me to, and with Jiseon starting school again and the post holiday rush, I have been busy. I’m here tonight, aren’t I?”

 

“If that’s the case, then why have you been avoiding this conversation with me? Literally each time I’ve called to ask you how your dates have went, you come up with some excuse to change the subject! Why won’t you talk to me about what’s going on in your love life, or should I say the lack there of!”

 

“There’s nothing to talk about Dongwoo! I went out to dinner, to coffee, to the park, and all the other stereotypical date places with the guys you chose, and there were no sparks!”

 

Dongwoo sighed, leaning against the table. “The question is was that because there wasn’t any chemistry, or because you weren’t trying? The guys I picked were all sweet and seemed very interested in you. How could you not want a second date with any of them?”

 

“I don’t know! Something just felt… off about them.”

 

The blonde scoffed. “Really? Then what was the problem with Jonghyun?”

 

“He was wearing those weird colored contacts that looked unnatural… and he was too short.”

 

Dongwoo rolled his eyes. “And Jungshin?”

 

“He was too tall!”

 

“Then what about Taecyeon?”

 

“Too manly. His muscles were seriously out of control, I could see his abs through his sweater, which was way too tight by the way.”

 

“Ren?”

 

“Too girly.” Dongwoo gave him a look which forced Sungyeol to elaborate. “Seriously, his hair was even longer than mine! I could have french braided it just how Jiseon likes it.”

 

“Oh my goodness, Sungyeol. You are impossible!”

 

“What? These are legitimate concerns! I can’t have my daughter and my boyfriend fighting over who has the better hairstyle.”

 

“Then what about Taekwoon? He is a good height, handsome, not overly gender specific, close to your age, and I know he likes kids, so what’s the problem there?”

 

Sungyeol shrugged his shoulders. “Too boring.”

 

“You’re ridiculous.”

 

“I am not! Honestly, the entire dinner he seemed more interested in his food than he was in our conversation! He just seemed kind of aloof and withdrawn, I wasn’t even sure if he wanted to be there at all.”

 

“Taekwoon can be shy at first, I’m sure he didn’t mean to come off like that!” Dongwoo defended.

 

“I’m sure he is a nice guy Dongwoo, I’m sure they are all wonderful people, they just don’t seem like the right fit for me. It’s not like I’m trying not to like them… I don’t know how to explain it and I know this sounds like a really poor excuse, but it’s the truth. I go on these dates and I have an open mind, but by the end of it I don’t feel any sort of connection with them.”

Dongwoo pouted his lower lip cutely. “Then why didn’t you just tell me that Sungyeollie? I would have listened to you…”

 

Sungyeol sighed, reaching out to hold his best friend’s hand. “I know you would have… I don’t know, maybe I just felt like I was failing you? I know how badly you want to hear good news, so each time they didn’t work out I just felt more nervous to tell you-”

 

“Well don’t be nervous anymore! I know better than anyone that you can’t force true love! And now that I know you’re looking, I’m sure it will happen sooner or later! For all I know you could already have someone special that I don’t know about!” Dongwoo joked.

 

The brunette almost choked on the chip he was eating, making the smaller man laugh. “Gosh, you have to remember to chew Sungyeollie! Was it something I said? What, do you have a secret crush that I don’t know about? Were you avoiding me because you were hiding a boy from me?” he teased, making Sungyeol blush.

 

“No, there’s nothing to tell, I’m not involved in some clandestine romance.”

 

“Are you sure? Cause I think I might see a blush on those cheeks!” He made a grab for them, making Sungyeol dodge his fingers.

 

“I am not! I’m not seeing anyone, I swear! I think you’d know if I had a boyfriend.” Sungyeol did his best to sound convincing with a nervous grin, although a very particular face - one with deep dimples and a warm smile - appeared in his mind at the thought of having someone special... not that he’d ever admit to Dongwoo that he was maybe, kind of, definitely crushing on his partner.

 

Thankfully, Hoya walked into kitchen before Dongwoo could press him any further, taking in their close position and smiles. He came over to the counter, filling up his empty plate with more chips. “I see you two have kissed and made up.”

 

“No way baby, you know I save these lips just for you.” Dongwoo puckered up, making a pleased sound when Hoya leaned over to give him a kiss. Sungyeol made a few gagging noises, but that didn’t deter the two of them in the least. Dongwoo fisted his hand in Hoya’s shirt, holding him close to prolong the kiss.

 

“Really guys, I came here to eat dinner, not to lose my appetite!” Sungyeol complained, which earned him a scoff from Dongwoo.

 

“Whatever, alone time together is precious these days so I make no apologies.”

 

“You aren’t alone, I’m right here!” Sungyeol narrowed his eyes at them, openly protesting when Dongwoo stuck out his tongue from behind Hoya’s body. “You two better stop or I’ll call for reinforcements.”

 

Dongwoo simply wrapped his arms around Hoya’s body, setting his chin on top of his husband’s shoulder with a smug smile. “It’s our house, so you have to play by our rules. And I say that I should be allowed to kiss my lovely husband whenever I want to.”

 

“Princess, your uncles are being gross! Don’t be like them when you grow up!” Sungyeol called out, making the others laugh.

 

“Hey, keep it down. Sooyong just turned in for a nap,” Hoya chastised him, giving him a stern glare over his shoulder.

 

“Yeah Sungyeollie; stop with your shouting or you’ll wake the baby,” Dongwoo lectured, much to Sungyeol’s dismay.

 

“This is unfair; you can’t use your baby to win arguments.”

 

Dongwoo moved his arm to reach into the back of Hoya’s jeans, fishing a cell phone out of his pocket. He tapped on the screen to unlock it, before turning it in Sungyeol’s direction. “Are you sure about that?”

 

Sungyeol looked at the phone only to see a video of Sooyong; he was staring at the camera with his curious big eyes all wide and bright, his little fingers stuck in his mouth as his lips turned up in a smile. To top it off he was wearing a onesie, a purple dinosaur onesie, complete with a little hood and green spikes going down the back. He tried to reach out for the camera, cooing happily as he attempted to grab it. Sungyeol could even hear Dongwoo’s telltale cackling in the background, along with his praise as he played with the baby.

 

In short, it was one of the most adorable things he had ever seen.

 

“...Damn it.”

 

Dongwoo muffled his laughter in Hoya’s neck, sliding the phone back into his husband’s pocket. “Let it sink in… because I’m totally not above using my gorgeous child to make you do my bidding.”

 

“But Sooyong is just so cute… and tiny… and cute. How am I supposed to resist him? Especially when you dress him in animal onesies, you know that’s my thing! I swear if you don’t make him a little monkey for Halloween I’ll end you,” Sungyeol whined, unable to stop his heart from warming at the thought of the little guy.

 

Hoya pecked Dongwoo on the forehead one last time, before untangling himself from the blonde’s clutches. “Just do what I did, and accept that there’s no resisting Sooyong’s charm. And as for the Halloween costume, you know that Dongwoo’s sisters will probably whip out their sewing machines and duke it out over whose costume is most worthy.”

 

Sungyeol nodded in agreement. “Seriously, is that like a Jang family trait? The bumblebee your noona made for Jiseon last year was so so cute, she looked so adorable with her wings.”

 

“You know they adore you and Jiseon, they can’t resist a chance to dress her up. And now that there’s Sooyong, I’m sure they’ll be around all the time trying to control everything. They call multiple times a day to give me parenting advice, all of them.”

 

Sungyeol laughed at Dongwoo’s exasperation. “I adore your noonas, they’re like the only people in the world who can put you in check. Plus, they’ve been running your life since forever, so why change the dynamic now?”

 

“You would side with them,” Dongwoo said gravely.

 

“Karma.” Sungyeol paused before continuing. “Well that, and your sisters are terrifying if you go against what they say.”

 

Hoya grabbed his food while shaking his head. “I’m going back to the living room with Jiseon, she’s having the time of her life staring at Sooyong sleep.” He turned to Dongwoo, brushing his hair out of his face. “Why don’t you go easy on Sungyeol babe? Maybe focus more on the cooking and less on the interrogation? The queso will only last us so long.”

 

Dongwoo perked up in his seat, grabbing at Hoya again. “Of course, anything for you honey.”

 

“Thank you.” Hoya’s hands were full, but he still managed to steal one more kiss from the blonde’s lips. He turned to Sungyeol with a wink. “And you’re welcome.”

 

Sungyeol held out a thumbs up until Hoya disappeared out of the kitchen, following Dongwoo’s lead when he stood up.

 

“We’ll get started on dinner, but don’t think I’ve forgotten our previous discussion.”

 

“But you promised Hoya-”

 

“I know I did! And you know me too well than to think that I’ll completely give up on your romantic future. So… for now, I think I’ll stop pestering you about it until I find the perfect guy for you. And this time I’ll take all your little idiosyncrasies into account when I’m looking for your next date so everything should be perfect!”

 

Dongwoo rambled on, pulling out different ingredients as Sungyeol dutifully listened. The younger felt a vibration in his pocket, and he slyly pulled out his phone to check the message.

 

I just got home from the gym, only to discover that there’s nothing good to eat in my fridge.
I’m starvinggg ._. I wish I could swing by Sarang’s to see you and eat something delicious, even if it was just a snack. Or better, maybe one of these days you could actually teach me how to cook something edible so I can be a functioning adult like you ^_^

 

“Sungyeol?” Dongwoo called out, not bothering to look over his shoulder as he washed up at the kitchen sink.

 

“Yeah… it sounds perfect.” Sungyeol typed the same words into his phone, unable to stop the silly grin from taking over his face at the prospect of spending time with the detective. At this point they had only hung out together at the cafe, and even if Myungsoo’s visits were frequent, it could still be considered casual since he was a paying customer.

 

Deep down he wondered if it was normal for him to be more excited at the prospect of seeing a friend again than he was at meeting Dongwoo’s next potential date. The selca he received in response, one of Myungsoo holding up a lean cuisine with a dangerously cute pout, made him bite his lip in excitement.

 

How was it possible for the detective to be so adorable and attractive all at once? His hair probably wet from a shower, a tank top showing off his toned arms as he held up the food, his full lips spread in the pouty expression… were they always so pink or did Myungsoo use a filter before sending the picture? Sungyeol would have to investigate this the next time he saw the detective.

 

Sungyeol stuffed his phone back into his jeans, not trusting his brain to formulate a proper response at a time like this. His head fell into his hands, the realization that he was actively planning on observing Myungsoo’s lips a little more than damning. Friends didn’t look at their friends lips, and they definitely did not wonder what they would look like after they had been kissed.

 

Oh lord, he had it bad. God help him.

 

“Did you say something?” Dongwoo shut off the water, drying off his hands with a nearby towel.

 

Sungyeol coughed, straightening up from the countertop. “Erm, no.”

 

Dongwoo narrowed his eyes at him, probably taking in the nervous fidget in Sungyeol’s body and the blush on his cheeks. “Is something wrong? Is there a problem?”

 

“Yes, we haven’t started on dinner and it’s almost seven!” he tried to joke, relieved when Dongwoo bought it with a simple nod of his head.

 

The phone buzzed silently in Sungyeol’s pocket, sending a shiver through his body that lingered in his heart. The next thought he made sure not to say out loud, even though he couldn’t get it out of his head.

 

Oh, and I’m maybe, kind of, definitely falling for your partner.

 

A/N: I’m so so so so so sorry about the long wait! I totally take responsibility, being away from home and visiting family, then trying to get resituated in Vegas made writing pretty difficult. I also value Quinnie’s studies very highly, (quinnie: even more than i do, like srsly) so I have to wait for her school to lighten up for us to write properly. So basically timing was just off for us for almost a month, and I feel super guilty about all the subbies having to wait for an update. So, as I way to to try to make it up to you, we thought a 9000+ word chapter of fluff would maybe help? Thanks for sticking with us, and trust me it will pay off because next chapter will be all about Myungyeol! We’ve got a feeling that Myungsoo isn’t going to be able to keep his feelings to himself for much longer ;D

 

are you guys excited for next chap cause i  am!!! and i will partially take some responsibility also because i was so slow on writing my parts of the chapter otlllll but on a side note, would any of you like to join my writing contest? deadline is sometime in february!

Comment and let us know what you think, and again, thank you for reading lovelies!

♥rayquin×

 

p.s. ray really really really apologizes if this update was trash, i did my best :/