It was a comical sight to see Minseok waiting outside the main door like a father would outside the delivery room when Minho and Kibum arrived back to the house. Yet, everything about the situation was nerve wrecking and none of them were in the mood to laugh.

“Hyung, why didn’t you reply my messages?” Minho, who was walking ahead of Kibum, demanded to know once his brother was within earshot.

Minseok quickly placed a finger to his lips, reminding Minho to keep his volume down, before he answered, “Sorry, I was busy trying to find out if umma knew anything.”

“Does she?”

As Kibum came to stand beside him, Minho’s heart was in his throat.

“I don’t know.” Minseok frowned, “I asked her if she came home earlier and washed the dishes, she said yes… but before I could go on, umma asked if you guys were back yet.”

“So she knows we went out?”

Minseok nodded.

“Did she check on us in the room when she came home?” Minho wanted to be sure.

Minseok shook his head, “When she came home just now, she went straight to the kitchen. It seems like she already thought you guys were out the entire time… but I really can’t be too sure.”

“What do you mean?” Minseok’s uncertainty made Kibum frown as he questioned, “Do you think she knows and she’s testing you?”

Minho turned to his boyfriend, “Bummie, I doubt my mum will do that.”

“Sorry, Minho, I just-”

“It’s okay.” Minho smiled reassuringly at Kibum, putting all the facts together, “I think we can assume umma didn’t hear anything… I really don’t think she knows yet.”

“I hope so.” Minseok breathed out, still feeling worried for the couple in front of him, “Have you guys figured out what to do?”

While Kibum nodded, Minho decided it was best to let Minseok in on what they have decided on the car ride back.

“We’re going to tell her, hyung.” Minho revealed, “Most probably after dinner. Just to let you know so you can decide if you want to be around.”

Minseok’s first reaction was to nod, before he let out a breath, smiled defeatedly as he looked thoughtfully at the couple.

“You two truly love each other a whole lot, don’t you?”

“Hyung!”

“No, not that much.”

Minho’s exclamation and Kibum’s mumble seemed like two extremes but the way they both shared a quick look with each other in the next moment before looking away embarrassedly couldn’t be more similar. The answer to his question was obvious. As he chuckled to himself, Minseok turned around and opened the main door.

“I’ll just head in first…” Minseok said to no one particular as he stepped into the house, leaving a bewildered Minho and Kibum outside.

“I’m not sure if I’m happy your brother knows about us.”

Minho let out a laugh, shaking his head helplessly at both his brother and his boyfriend. When his laughter died, Minho cleared his throat and held out his hand in front of Kibum.

“You ready, bummie?”

Kibum nodded but looked at Minho with a raised eyebrow.

“Are you expecting me to hold your hand and enter your house together?” Kibum narrowed his eyes at Minho, “You’re not that stupid, are you? That’s just going to be a dead giveaway.”

Minho coughed awkwardly as he slowly took his hand back and rubbed the back of his neck. “Right…”

Kibum couldn’t help but let out a chuckle as he reached out to squeeze Minho on his cheek, “Sometimes, you’re so stupid it’s cute.”

With that, Kibum entered the house with a grin while Minho followed behind like a loyal puppy.

▷▷

“When do you think is a good time?”

“Maybe we can wait until she’s done cleaning the kitchen?”

“Okay, sounds good.”

“Should I do all the talking? Or do you want to say anything?”

“Minho, I think it’s best if you talk.”

“How do you think I should start, bum?”

“I don’t know… I really don’t know.”

“What are you two whispering about?”

Minho and Kibum instantly sprung apart and turned to the direction of the voice. They had finished dinner not too long ago and were the only two left in the living room since Minseok had conveniently decided to go out for some drinks with his friends.

“Umma!” Minho’s heart was beating a little too fast as he met his mother’s amused eyes, “I thought you were in the kitchen…”

“I was…” Mrs Choi smiled as Minho and Kibum watched her walked closer towards where they were on the sofa and finally noticed the plate of fruits she was holding, “But I’m here now to pass you boys some fruits.”

“Thanks eomonim.” Kibum said, immediately standing up and taking the plate of fruits from Mrs Choi’s hands to help her place it on the coffee table.

Mrs Choi nodded gratefully, “Alright, I’m sure you’re not going to let me in on your gossip so I’ll just-”

“Actually umma…” Minho cleared his throat just as Kibum nudged him, both of them realising there was no better time than now to speak to Minho’s mother, “If you’re free, sit down with us…”

Mrs Choi was surprised but the nervous expressions on both Minho’s and Kibum’s faces naturally made her concerned as she sat down without hesitation.

“What is it, Minho?” Mrs Choi asked worriedly, eyes taking in how fidgety and uncomfortable both boys sitting across her looked, “Everything alright?”

Minho nodded, taking in a deep breath before he replied, “Everything’s fine, umma, so fine that I’ve been the happiest I have ever been.”

At Minho’s honesty, Kibum found himself looking at his boyfriend, stunned, his heart feeling so full, that he didn’t even realise Minho’s hand had found its way to his. Of course, this didn’t go unnoticed by Mrs Choi as her eyes travelled from the bright but cautious smile on her son’s face to the hand that was now holding Kibum’s hand so securely as if he never wanted to let go.

It was then that everything clicked. 

“Umma, i think you should know that-”

“No.”

“Umma… please let me-“

”No, Minho.” Mrs Choi stopped her son once again, her face void of emotions as she shook her head and remained in her seat, the rest of her body unmoving, “How? I don’t even- I just- How?”

Snapping out of his trance and finally seeing Mrs Choi’s reaction, Kibum panicked and instantly tried to slip his hand out of Minho’s but his boyfriend’s grip grew tighter. Kibum looked at Minho, pleading with his eyes to let him go and not aggravate Mrs Choi any further, but Minho did not even look at him as he remained firm and held onto Kibum’s hand. There was no running away. They had to face reality. Together.

“Umma, I know this is hard for you to take… and I’ll answer all your questions, I’ll tell you everything but what I want you to know the most right now is that I’m not sorry for loving Kibum.” Minho said, no longer nervous and feeling braver by the second, his eyes lit with determination. “The only thing I’m sorry about is keeping this a secret from you.”

Mrs Choi was speechless, her eyes just staring at the boys that sat across her.

“Umma, please… talk to me… talk to us.” Minho pleaded, hating the silence his mother was giving him so much that a part of him would rather his mother scold him than remain quiet.

“Minho, eomonim needs time…” Kibum whispered, tugging on Minho’s hand and tapping his wrist gently with the other, “Don’t rush her.”

It was then Minho turned to look at Kibum. Realising his mistake, he slowly relaxed and nodded with a bitter smile.

At the sight of Minho and Kibum looking at each other, Mrs Choi finally broke her silence.

“Why did you keep this from me, Minho?” Mrs Choi asked, hurriedly wiping the tears that had escaped her eyes away, and then continued, “Have I not shown you that I love you enough for you to be able to tell me everything right from the start? Did I fail as a parent? I’m your mother, Minho, I love you so much… the last thing I want is for you to be afraid of me.”

“Umma, it’s not that. I know you love me. I’m not scared of you.” Minho swallowed, fighting against his urge to cry upon seeing how heartbroken his mother looked, “I just wanted to be sure and know for myself that this is how exactly I want my life to be before I talked to you.”

“You’re telling me…” Mrs Choi sniffed, tearful eyes wandering towards a quiet Kibum and then back to her son, “You’re sure that you want to be with Kibum for the rest of your life?”

Minho nodded resolutely.

“What do you want me to say?” Mrs Choi shook her head, in a state of disbelief at the current situation, “I always thought you and Kibum were as close as family… as brothers. I thought you were just not interested in dating and too busy to be in a relationship… I thought… I thought I could see you marry a nice girl, settle down and have a family but now…”

“Umma-”

Minho was interrupted once again, but it wasn’t by his mother, it was Kibum.

“Eomonim… I know I’m the last thing you want for your son…” Kibum spoke in a volume that was soft but nothing short of assurance, “But I want you to know that we will have a family. Minho and I… we’ll have kids. We’ll be fathers… hopefully of two kids, a boy and a girl. And you will be their grandma… if you want to.”

Minho and Kibum had talked about this before. They knew they were going to build a family together. But it was the first time Minho had heard exactly how many kids Kibum wanted, and hearing Kibum say that only made him look forward to their future together even more.

“Kibum ah… don’t say that, don’t speak of yourself like you’re not worthy of my son.” Mrs Choi gently said, “I love you, you know that… and I want you, Minho too, to know that I love you both unconditionally. I’m happy as long as you both are.”

“Umma…”

“Which is exactly why I’m worried… I’m worried that your relationship would be the cause of your unhappiness in the future. I can’t bear to see you both suffer when I know how unforgiving and harsh everyone will be if they find out about the two of you. How are you going to be truly happy if you have to hide your entire life? I don’t want that for the both of you.”

“Umma, it’s never been a choice to love Kibum… I can’t be without him.” Minho answered truthfully, sharing his feelings openly with his mother, “Kibum and I are happy the way we are… the only thing we want is for our family and closest friends to know, for you to accept us and we’ll be able to get through everything. We’ve already been through so much… and whatever that happens in the future, we’ll deal with it one step at a time.”

It was then that not only Mrs Choi, but also Kibum (who had been listening and agreeing to every single word Minho said) himself, realised how strong their love for each other was.

A smile tugged on Mrs Choi’s lips as she looked proudly at her son and the boy that sat beside him.

“Minho, darling, I’m worried… I’ll always be worried for you… I just want the best for you. But I guess I have nothing else to say after what you said to me.” With a warm smile, Mrs Choi spoke to Minho first; and when she was done, she looked at Kibum, “Kibum ah… I noticed all along that my son has been happier in the recent years even with all the pressure he faced at work… but I never knew that you are why he’s truly happy.”

Kibum looked at Mrs Choi while he bit his bottom lip nervously, somewhat shocked as he was not expecting Minho’s mother to say that to him.

“Thank you.” Mrs Choi said, chuckling to herself, the tears in her eyes now out of pure happiness, “It must have been tough.”

It was silent for a moment, both Kibum and Minho soaking in Mrs Choi’s words, before Kibum chuckled out loud while an unhappy expression appeared on Minho’s face.

“Umma…” Minho groaned, feeling so wronged, and defended himself, “I’m the easiest person to live with!”

But in the next minute, he ended up laughing with the two people who owned pieces of his heart.

Through her laughter, Mrs Choi shook her head, “I brought you up, Minho, I know you’re stubborn, and annoyingly determined, and always sulk when you don’t get your way… sometimes, I don’t even know what to do with you.”

Kibum’s eyes widened with interest, feeling as if he finally found someone who understood him, “He really does sulk all the time, doesn’t he?”

“Bummie!”

“What, it’s the truth!” Kibum argued, “It’s really hard to handle you when you’re grumpy.”

“And why am I like that most of the time?” Minho countered and answered his own question, “It’s only because you always do the things you know I hate!”

Kibum shrugged and muttered, “It’s not my fault you’re fun to annoy…”

“Yeah, and it becomes my fault when you end up having to appease me.” Minho huffed.

Kibum took one look at his boyfriend and in the next moment, exchanged a look with Mrs Choi.

“He’s sulking again.” Kibum mouthed the words as he pointed to Minho.

Mrs Choi’s eyes crinkled into a smile, “I’m sure you know how to make him happy again.”

Mrs Choi looked straight into Kibum’s eyes, her smile so warm, that Kibum found himself smiling along with her even before she said her next few words.

“I’ll leave him to you, Kibum.”

And when those words left her lips, Kibum had never been happier. He knew that Minho’s mother wasn’t just referring to the current situation; in her words was an approval that Kibum realised he wanted more than he thought he did. Minho knew this too and instantly, he stopped sulking as a smile naturally replaced the pout that was on his lips.

Kibum had been taken aback by Mrs Choi’s words, so much so that he could only nod and return a smile so sincere and thankful, completely losing his ability to speak for fear that whatever he might say would just ruin the moment.

But Kibum’s nod and smile was more than enough for Mrs Choi. With that as an answer, she finally stood up and decided the boys needed the time to themselves.

“Umma!” Minho called out, stopping his mother in her footsteps, as he stood up and closed the distance between them.

When he reached her, he gave her a hug that was long overdue.

“Thank you.” Minho tightened his arms around the woman he owed his life to, “Thank you so much.”

“What’s there to thank, silly?” Mrs Choi replied as she her son’s head, “You’re my son, my baby boy…”

“I love you, umma.” Minho finally said as he let his mother go.

Mrs Choi broke into a smile, “I can’t believe it takes this for me to hear you say that out loud after so long.”

Embarrassed, Minho fidgeted uncomfortably in his position and remained silent. Kibum resisted the urge to laugh as he watched the scene in front of him.

“Alright alright, I won’t tease you.” Mrs Choi promised before she eyed the two boys and nagged, “Don’t stay up too late, you two… get a good rest this holiday alright?”

Both of them nodded and then watched as Mrs Choi left them alone in the living room.

Minho walked back and dropped himself onto the sofa but this time, turned his body around so he could lie down with his head on Kibum’s lap.

“Minho!” Kibum hissed once he felt the heavy weight on his lap, hands on Minho’s body trying to push his boyfriend up, “Are you crazy? We just-”

“We did it, bummie.” Minho remained strong in his position, looking up at Kibum as he caught his boyfriend’s hands and held them in place, “We did it.”

Kibum instantly stopped fighting against Minho as he looked down and met Minho’s eyes, unable to stop a smile from forming.

“We did it.” Kibum repeated, pulling his hand out of Minho’s hold to touch his boyfriend’s face, “We really did it.”

Minho laughed, holding Kibum’s other hand against his heart.

They remained silent, no words were necessary. Just looking at each other as they soaked in the moment was all that they needed right now.

It was hard to believe but they were coming closer and closer to their very own happy ending.

One step at a time.

(“Oh come on! Guys! I may approve of this but I really don’t need to come back home to you two in this position on the sofa!!”

“Hyung! When did you come in?!”

“When you were busy suffocating Kibum?!”

“I’m just hugging him!”

“Minho… eomonim may be in her room but could you please not shout-”

“Oh! Wait, does that mean umma knows?”

“What do you think, hyung?”

“Oh great! Then we should probably set some ground rules.”

“Like what?”

“No PDA anywhere we can see you.”

“You have nothing to worry about, we’ll just stay in the room for the next few days then.”

“Choi Minho!”

“Oh god, save me, I need the images out of my mind.”)

Author's Note: i'm not too sure how i feel about this. this was tough to write, and halfway through i got emotional myself, like i mean tears in my eyes (whaaat?!). but it's completed... for now. because i feel like i could do more. and so, i want to try something new... if you think there's something else you wanted to see/read, or that there's still something missing in the fic, feel free to let me know! i'm open to writing mini scenes (something like outtakes?) and i'll add them if anyone requests! also, if you have any questions, ask away too! you're always welcomed to leave me comments below! alrighty. thank you so much for being with me as i wrote this fic and i hope you enjoyed it till the very end. ♥

special thanks to Shawol360 ^^