“How is that you want to see your grandchildren now?” Jinyoung asked his mother “You didn’t even visited them for Christmas”

“Your father was sick on Christmas” she replied, mad. And Jinyoung rolled his eyes. Like it was a possibility that they had visited them if he was healthy.

“He’s coming?”

“Maybe”

Jinyoung’s heart stopped. He hadn’t seen his father since he was eighteen. Twelve years ago. The possibility of seeing him now was too much for him, he didn’t even know how to react. So nice of you mom, to tell me while I am working.

“I’ll talk to Shinwoo” was all he could manage to say and then hung up.

Eunsook was looking at him with worry in his eyes. Jinyoung waved her off, she didn’t have to know the details. He called up his wifey, but he felt nothing, it was like he was on automatic pilot.

“Hi? Already missing me?” Shinwoo said when he picked up the phone. Jinyoung could hear him smiling, they have just talked a few minutes ago.

“Mom wants to come and see the kids” he said, his voice plain.

Shinwoo remained silent for a while.

“Well… that’s wonderful news?” he said, it was more like a question.

“Dad’s coming with her”

“Are you serious?”

“That’s what she said” Jinyoung felt a knot in his throat

“Baby, that’s such good news!”

That Jin wasn’t expecting.

“How is that good news??”

“Maybe he wants to make it up for the lost years!”

“Shinwoo, listen to yourself! Is my dad we’re talking about”

“Do you want me to pick you up for lunch?” Shinwoo asked.

“It’d be great, thank you”

Having Shinwoo picking him up at his workplace was a blessing. The years when he was trying to hide his relationship were now far behind and now he could just enjoy his man, no guilt or embarrassment involved. They had lunch at a Japanese restaurant, Jinyoung’s favorite. But the best part wasn’t the food, not at all. The best part was holding Shinwoo’s hand at a time of the day when he wasn’t supposed to see him.

“I don’t know if I’m ready to see him” the skinny man said suddenly, when they were waiting for their beverages.

Shinwoo knew who they were talking about without asking.

“Maybe it’s better if I go to my parents’ house for those days?” Shinwoo didn’t want to be a bother, and he knew he wasn’t good received with Mr. Jung

“No” said Jinyoung immediately “we’re a family now. If he doesn’t like it, he’d have to leave. I’m not choosing him over you”

Shinwoo felt his heart fill with joy, he didn’t want his husband to fight with his dad, but he couldn’t hide the pride he felt when he heard those words. ‘We’re a family now’

“We’ll get through this” he said, holding his spouse hand “I’m with you now”

***

Baro was still thinking about his twin brother’s eyes when he told him he wasn’t having lunch with him when he heard the blonde boy –Jaeho- talking.

“I heard there’s a boy with gay dads in first grade”

.

“Really? That’s gross” another boy said, and the group laughed and made disgusted faces.

Baro wanted to know why it was gross. He didn’t think his appa and his eomma were gross. Except when they were kissing, but everybody was gross when they were kissing. Sandeul was gross too when he farted. He did that a lot. Baro kinda felt bad for not having lunch with him… he seemed a little hurt when he told them he rather hang out with his new friends. Why was he thinking about Deullie anyway? Oh yeah, ‘cause he was gross… like his parents kissing, only they weren’t really that gross.

“I don’t think it’s that gross” he dared to say.

“It’s weird” Jaeho said, with a serious face. Suddenly, Baro’s sandwich didn’t feel so delicious anymore.

***

Junghwan’s lunch wasn’t so delicious either.

“Hyung? Is something wrong with your lunch?” Gongchan asked “you don’t seem happy”

“No… I’m just not that hungry”

Gongchan got alarmed.

“Are you okay?”

“Why is Baro not having lunch with us? What is so cool about those kids?” Sandeul exploded

“Oh… so that’s what’s bothering you” little Channie smiled. His brothers were always fighting but Deullie missed Baro anyway. How cute.

“They called me fat” his brother added, biting his sandwich.

Gongchan smiled widely. Baro called him fat all the time and Sandeul didn’t say anything either.

“Oh, they didn’t”

“Yes they did” he pouted “am I really?”

“No” little Channie said fast “just chubby cute”

“Then why Baro isn’t here??”

“Maybe ‘cause we’re hiding behind the trash can”

Sandeul hadn’t realized that, he had just got used to it, being behind the can I mean. 

“This isn’t okay” the oldest said.

“What isn’t okay?”

“Being here. We hiding”

“What are you planning?”

“Telling appa and eomma”

“And Baro?”

Sandeul sighed.

“I already told him. He didn’t care” Gongchan had never seen his brother so bitter. He gave him half of his sandwich to calm him down.

***

Baro gulped. And then he realized everything was wrong. Since when was he a coward? Since when did he let his brothers alone? He have heard how those kids talked about Deullie. He now knew they were talking about little Channie. He just couldn’t be their friend. It was his duty to stand up for his brothers.

“Why is it weird?” he asked, feeling brave all of a sudden “I think it’s pretty normal”

“Are you defying me?” Jaeho said.

“What if I am?”

“You’ll regret it”

“I don’t think so”

Jaeho smiled bitterly and stepped closer to Baro. The boy didn’t stepped back.

“Why do you care so much about it anyway?”

“Because… that kid is my brother” he said, defiant.

A big OH was heard from the group. Jaeho didn’t look amused.

“Now I understand why you have such horrible squirrel teeth. It’s because of your gay dads”

“That makes no sense” a voice said.

Sandeul and Gonchan had appeared in the playground. Baro smiled. There were his brothers.

“So fatty and company are here” Jaeho said “We’ll have fun with you”

“Not if I have fun first”

Baro threw the first punch.

It wasn’t a good idea.

Jaeho and their group were five kids. They all knew how to fight.

They were only three. The only one who knew how to punch and kick someone was Baro.

The fight lasted a couple of minutes. Enough to give Baro a nosebleed. And the other too Jungs a couple of bruises. Jaeho got a nosebleed and bruises too, courtesy of Sunwoo. The other boys were just fine.

The teacher found them just in time.

“What on earth is happening here?” she screamed to stop the fight.

“HE BIT ME!” a boy said pointing Junghwan.

“HE CALLED ME FAT” Junghwan yelled.

“STOP!” the teacher yelled

The boys stopped instantly. Both Baro and Jaeho bleeding. Channie sobbing. Sandeul breathing heavily. It wasn’t a good scene.

It wasn’t a good scene either to see their parents at the office of the headmaster.

The three of them were all scared sitting on little chairs outside the office. Baro won’t show his feelings, tho, he was busy looking though trough the blood on his face.

Their parents didn’t say a word until they all got into the car. It was his appa’s turn to drive, but he didn’t move a muscle.

“So… boys” he asked “what happened there?” he tried to seem casual, but you could tell he was mad.

“They started it” Baro said, shamelessly.

“That’s not what I heard” Jinyoung said.

“Okay… I threw the first punch. But they were messing with us”

“They were making fun of us”

“Oh, don’t you say?”

Shinwoo wanted to smile, but retrained himself.

“They made fun of my teeth and called Deullie fat, and also… nothing” said Baro.

“Also what?” asked Shinwoo, kindly.

Baro looked at his brothers. They nodded.

“They said you were gross”

“Us? Why?”

“’Cause you were gay” he said.

An icing silence filled the car while Jinyoung looked at his wifey in worry.

“Appa, they say you were gross” Channie said with a pout “but I don’t understand”

Perfect Jinyoung thought first my dad and now the kids.

He just couldn’t believe that those kids have said something like that. Shinwoo was the one who spoke first.

“You see kids…” he started “there are some people in this word who think that two people of the same can’t love each other. But that’s not right. Love is love, and it doesn’t matter if it’s between a boy and a girl, or two boys or two girls, okay?”

“Okay” the boys said at the unison, ‘cause really it was easy for them to understand.

“Is just gross when people kiss” Junghwan said

“Yes” Shinwoo agreed

Jinyoung laughed. Those two were never going to change.

“Like this?” he asked and leaned over to kiss his spouse.  

“EWWWWWWWWWWW” they said.

“Channie wants kisses too!” the youngest asked

“Come here to eomma” Shinwoo called.

“Can we go for ice cream?” Junghwan asked

“You’re still in trouble young men” Jinyoung said.

“Oh”

So they went home and had a serious talk about getting into fights. And then… then they had ice cream, ‘cause the boys promised not to fight again. And Sandeul didn’t cry about being called fat ‘cause his parents told them he was just chubby, and it wasn’t the same. And Sandeul told Baro that his squirrel teeth were cool. And their parents weren’t gross so it all was okay.

They were having dinner when Jinyoung decided to tell them the big news.

“Boys, attention here please. Deullie, sweetie, you’ll eat later look at me”

The boys all stared at him, with big opened eyes.

“Jung Grandma is coming to visit us this weekend”

“REALLY?” the boys asked.

“Yes. Aaaand…” and here came the hard part “you’re going to meet your grandpa”

Junghwan dropped the chopsticks and Channie chocked on his water. Nice reaction.

“What?” Sunwoo asked “I thought Jung grandpa was dead”

“Me too” Channie said

“Is he bringing candy?”

“Deullie, that’s not the point!”

“I WAS JUST WONDERING”

Days were long and at the same time gone by too fast while waiting for their grandmother. Their dad seemed nervous.