He’s greeted by the sight of his little girl stepping on Jongin’s feet as his husband holds on to her hands firmly, keeping her upright and steady. Her bubbling laughter spills from her lips, squealing loudly with delight as Jongin waltzes around the living room, moving her along with him. He’s laughing too, mirth and adoration in his eyes as he looks down at their daughter, careful to maneuver them away from the furniture and any sharp edges as they dance their way around the room.

Taemin grins and drops his bag to the floor, tossing his keys haphazardly somewhere on the coffee table which had been pushed aside for playtime and dashes over to join his family. Jongin pauses midway through a twirl, looking up and beaming at Taemin.

“Papa!” Jinri tips her head backwards to look up at her father upside down, giggling at him happily. “Daddy and I are dancing. He said I’m a princess!”

Taemin smiles at her fondly, sinking down on one knee to bring himself down to her level and presses a kiss to her forehead, “You’re the most beautiful princess in the world,” he tells her and she giggles, leaning in to plant a wet kiss on his cheek. “And Papa is the most handsome prince!”

Taemin straightens up and only just manages to brush his lips against Jongin’s, where his are stretched into a smile, before Jinri tugs at Jongin’s hands, trying to draw his attention back to her.

Jongin grins and in one swift move, he has her hoisted up flush against his chest, one arm wrapped securely around her little waist while holding one of her hands in his own and he moves around the room once again, whirling her around. Jinri screams happily, mashing her cheek into Jongin’s and kicks her legs a little as though trying to copy Jongin’s steps in the air.
Taemin perches down on the armrest of the couch and watches their little tango with an unwavering smile on his face, content with just sitting quietly and drinking in the happy sounds of their laughter.

Eventually Jinri tires out, burrowing her face into the hollow of Jongin’s neck with a small whine. Taemin instantly pushes himself up off the couch to take her from Jongin, giving his arms a break, and he cradles his four year old against his chest. Jinri curls her arms tiredly around Taemin’s neck, snuggling into him and sniffling tiredly against his skin, her eyes already closed. Taemin kisses the side of her face that he can reach, murmuring quiet soothing words to her as he pads over to her bedroom. Pulling back the covers, he sets her down gently on her bed, brushing her hair away to kiss her forehead. She’s already mostly asleep and Taemin tucks the blankets around her tiny frame, his heart tightening at the way her little fingers fist into the hem of the sheets. It’s dark in the room and he reaches out blindly to the side, fumbling a bit before he finds the switch he’s looking for and flicks it on. The room comes alight with colourful pinpricks littering the walls and ceiling as the nightlight projects galaxies and star constellations against the darkness. Throwing one last look at his daughter, he backs out of the room silently; pulling the door behind him and leaving it open just a crack. He finds Jongin waiting for him outside, leaning against the wall with a small smile on his face.

“Care for a dance?” he asks, holding out his hand, palm up in invitation. Taemin grins and half rolls his eyes but takes his hand anyway and leans into Jongin’s chest, pressing into the inviting warmth. Jongin snakes an arm around Taemin’s waist, pressing his fingers into the skin, grounding him. They sway slowly to the music in their heads, fingers fitting perfectly in the grooves of the other’s hand. Their cheeks brush together and Taemin dips his head to nuzzle his nose into Jongin’s neck, taking in the scent of vanilla soap and something that’s entirely Jongin.

“Welcome home,” Jongin murmurs, pressing a kiss onto his jaw and moves his hands to massage the base of Taemin’s back soothingly. Taemin hums contently, leaning his cheek against Jongin’s shoulder and lets his eyes slip shut, feeling the comforting weight of Jongin’s cheek against his head.

“Missed you,” he breathes, almost inaudibly but he knows Jongin caught it, feeling the way his jaw moves to twist into a smile.

“Missed you too,” Jongin murmurs in reply, nosing at Taemin’s cheek until he lifts his head and then presses their lips together.

Taemin presses back for a long moment before pulling away with a grin.

“This is really cheesy,” he snorts, laughing harder when Jongin colours because even now, after all these years, he still blushes like the shy teenager he met back in high school. It’s one of the most endearing things about Jongin that Taemin absolutely adores.

“I married a cheese ball,” he snickers teasingly, kissing the tip of Jongin’s nose.

“Shut up, you love it,” Jongin retorts, muttering under his breath as he drops his head onto Taemin’s shoulder, as the other shakes with silent laughter.

“Yeah, I do,” Taemin chuckles, coaxing Jongin’s face back up and cups his flushed cheeks in both his hands. He looks at him for a moment, taking in his plush lips and tender eyes, warmth exploding in his chest as he thinks ‘mine’ before bringing their lips together. They kiss languidly, and Taemin nibbles gently on Jongin’s bottom lip before pushing him back up against the wall, pressing himself up against him and deepening the kiss. Jongin’s mouth falls open with a low hum when Taemin’s at the seam of his lips, keening when Taemin pushes a leg between his thighs. Their lips move together insistently, their heavy breathing loud in the silent hallway and Taemin curls his tongue, into Jongin’s mouth just to hear him moan again. Jongin has a tight grip around his waist, pressing their hips together as he tilts his head to kiss him harder.

Finally, they pull back a fraction, just enough to breathe, their slick, swollen lips still brushing together. Taemin’s lips curl up at the unfocused look in Jongin’s eyes, leaning in again to press their lips together once, twice more, making him giggle.

Taemin lets out a quiet, content sigh, his arms dropping to Jongin’s waist, still pressing him up against the wall; it’s good to be home.