Leo sat at his spot. His eyes glanced at the splattered food on his clothes and hair, while the shattered plate landed on the floor. Ren glanced down at the five year old child, who had made the mess towards her guest, while she tried to feed her younger sister. “Mai, look what you did? You can’t make a fuss when you see something you don’t like.” She chided, rubbing the napkin on the messy girl’s face.

 

            “Taekwoon, I’m sorry for Mai.” She apologized and quickly cleaned up the mess. “You should take a shower, I’ll bring some of Kris’s clothes for you to wear.”

 

            He nodded splattering more of the food on the floor while he went to clean himself from the mess. He glanced behind him, noticing the girl chide at the two children as the three laughed and smiled when speaking in their foreign tongue, leaving the boy to smile as well.

 

            He searched for the bathroom within the apartment only to find a sleeping baby. The little baby, dressed in blue, slept soundly. His usual stoic faced lifted as he tried to get a better view on the baby.

 

            “Ah Taekwoon, I'm sorry. I forgot you don’t know where the bathroom is. I got you a towel and Kris’s-.” Ren stared at the soft smile on her boyfriend’s face. The cold, stoic exterior that he always placed disappeared at the sight of the baby. “Hao usually takes a nap at this time.”

 

            “Sorry.” He softly muttered. “I got lost.”

 

             “No, it’s my fault.” She retorted. “Here, let me show you the way.”

 

            Ren watched the two siblings who continue to prance and dance with jolly. The two children spewed nonsense as they continued to dance to the music played on the screen. Leo took his chance to watch from the side, staring at the two children with glee.

 

            He felt a tug from his pants. “Kitty?”

 

            He glanced at the little girl. Unlike her older sister, her skin tone was darker and had shorter hair. She had looked nothing like her older sister, which baffled him.

 

            “Yuu, do you want to play with Leo?”

 

            The quiet girl glanced up at the very tall man. Her wide eyes gleamed at the sight of him, which was different to Mai’s reaction to him. Mai had glared at him, hiding behind his girlfriend with disdain, and continued to feel cautious over him. While the younger sister, curious of the stranger, nodded in glee. Her hands lifted towards him, hoping to gather his attention, to meet her small request.

 

            With a grin, he nodded to Yuu’s small request. Lifting her up and quickly dropping her down, while repeating the task several times. Mai’s attention quickly turned towards her gleeful younger sister. A cute pout appeared on the moonlit skinned girl.

 

            “Me too!”

 

            Confused at the odd attention, he quickly obliged to the adolescent’s request. Bringing the two together for their own little ride.

 

            “Mai, Yuu, milk!” She presented two small cups of milk for the two girls. Forgetting of their small ride, they ran towards the girl drinking the liquid with glee.

 

            “I’m sure your tired too.”

 

            Leo turned to view a bottle of cold water next to his cheek. Without much haste, he drank the bottle dry. Not leaving one drop behind, or taking a second to stop drinking.

 

            “I’m sorry to bring you here. Kris had to go to work, while my parents wanted to show my uncle and aunt around Korea before they return back to China.” She noted, guilty of forcing her boyfriend to watch over her baby cousins. “I didn’t think they would have this much energy.”

 

            “It’s okay.” Leo glanced at the two children. “It’s fun.”

 

            “I’m glad.” Leo turned to see Ren’s giant grin. A cry came from the corner of the room. The three females dropped what they were holding and turned to the location of the source.

 

            Ren quickly ran towards the cradle, bouncing the baby to comfort him back to sleep, but the wailing only became louder. “I know. I’m not mommy. She’ll be back. I promise.”

 

            The two girls hid behind the door wondering if their little brother was okay. Leo had silently followed suit. Mai had only focussed her attention on her little brother, while Yuu turned towards the tall male. Tugging at man, he pointed towards the scene.

 

            He went towards the stressed girl. Bringing the boy into his arms, he mimicked the same action. The three stood in shock, noticing the crying slow down until it became soft snores.

 

            “Unfair.” She pouted. “Hao always cried when I was around, but he liked you so easily.”

 

            He placed the baby back in his cradle, shaking his head, “I was just lucky.”

 

            “Well, they are all daddy’s children.” She teased, staring down at the three children in front of them. “Maybe you remind them of him.”

 

            He shifted from his spot uncomfortable of the attention his girlfriend had given him. Yet, this had only brightened her smile. A yawn came from the youngest girl, while the older sister seemed to glare at the action.

 

            “Seems like it’s time for your nap time.” Ren noted.

 

            “No, I want to play!” Mai pouted, stomping her feet, she continued. “Can’t we play instead?”

 

            The words remained foreign to Leo. He glanced at the youngest female, her eyes slowly drifting to close, but tried to remain awake. Cradling the young girl, he pulled her into his arms and walked back to the living room. Setting her onto the couch, he prepared the sleeping mat for the two to sleep.

 

            “Mai, wouldn’t it be unfair if you played while Yuu slept.” A soft yawn came from the younger girl. “See, you’re tired. Come on, time to sleep.”

 

            She guided the girl towards the living room, seeing the sleeping mats in place, while Leo had placed the younger sister in her spot. Pillows and blankets fell to the floor, letting the two siblings sleep in peace. The two siblings separated between the couple, but they didn’t mind the space – only to watch the two sleep with a grin on their faces.

 

            “My mom likes to say that I was like Yuu. Quiet and accepting to strangers.” Ren stated as she played with Mai’s hair. “Mai is very energetic, but Yuu can be as well when the two are together. I’m not sure how Hao will turn out.”

 

            “He’s a mix between Mai and Yuu.” Leo retorted softly.

 

            “I’m glad Kris’s clothes fit. You’re not cold right? I wasn’t sure if his pants would be too long or his longer shirts would fit properly.” She mumbled.

 

            “You stress too much.” He comforted. “I hope your brother doesn’t mind.”

 

            “Well, too bad for him.”

 

            The two laughed. If it were anyone else, Leo would have remained stoic. Yet, whenever he was with Ren, he found that he couldn’t stop smiling. He could laugh easier, smile slightly, and express himself fully. Somewhere along the line, he felt at peace with her. Like she had become his safety net.

 

~~~

 

            The door creaked open to reveal the five adults. An older version of Ren entered the living room to view the couple sleeping beside the siblings. Signalling the others to come inside quietly, the four glanced at the scene before them.

 

            “They must have been really tired.” Ren’s mother whispered. “You two should sleep in Ren’s room. Her twin bed should fit the two of you. I’ll call Taekwoon’s parents to know that he’ll be sleeping over.”

 

            Her in-laws nodded at the suggestion, and quickly resided to their niece’s room. Kris glanced down at his sister sleeping soundly with Mai in her arms. His eyes turned towards Leo, and noticed him doing the same, unknown that their fingers were linked within this act.

 

            “They look like parents.” He overheard his mother squeal, sneaking in photos of the sleeping couple. “Oh, I can’t wait for the day they get married.”

 

            “Don’t overthink too much.” The father retorted. “They’re just sleeping.”

 

            “You’re just overprotective of her just like Kris.” His mother mumbled. “Oh, can you wash the dishes. I’m sure Ren forgot to take the laundry again.”

 

            “Yeah, yeah.” The man retorted, “She remembers everything, but her chores.”

 

            He smirked at the conversation between his parents. Taking one last glance at the couple, he noted the strange appearance.

 

            “Is he wearing my clothes?” Kris remarked.

 

            It seemed that two plates broke that day.