“Yifan …”

 

Yifan doesn’t stop his lazy on his husband’s arm. The kids are playing quietly in the house (a little too quietly in Zitao’s opinion), and he and Zitao are relaxing on the hammock he had tied up in the backyard, swinging lazily and enjoying the late afternoon breeze. “Mmm?”

 

“I’ve been thinking …” Zitao lightly slaps Yifan’s hand in an attempt to stop him from distracting him even more. “Listen, you. I’ve been thinking. We need to teach the kids basic etiquette.”

 

Yifan his head to the side at this, searching his husband’s face for any kind of joking manner. But … no, Zitao’s face is serious. “Really? They’re not that bad. Sure, they’re energetic like crazy twenty-four-seven, but they know how to eat properly at a table.”

 

“Not that kind of etiquette,” Zitao laughs. “I mean basic etiquette. Like when’s the proper time to say ‘thank you’ and ‘you’re welcome’ and how to say ‘I’m sorry’.”

 

“They don’t know how to say they’re sorry?” Yifan’s confusion doubles at this, now with incredulity added to the mix. There’s no way on Earth his twin angels are not aware on how to apologize properly.

 

Zitao puffs one of his cheeks, thinking back to one of his many past experiences with the twins. “Um, I think they sense when to feel apologetic, but they don’t like to ’fess up to it. They’re too prideful.” He shoots Yifan a glare at this, as if the older man were to blame for that particular trait in both their kids. “And I think Sehun wanted to say sorry once when he stepped on my foot, but what came out instead was ‘Dory’, and then he ered me into watching Finding Nemo with him when I tried to make him say the correct pronunciation.”

 

“That kid’s a genius,” Yifan chuckles.

 

Zitao smiles at him, hitting his chest. “I’ve been getting complaints from Yixing that Sehun tends to sleepwalk and trip over Kyungsoo’s body during naptime, but he doesn’t apologize when Kyungsoo wakes up and cries. Jongin’s furious at Sehun for hurting his brother of course, but what can Sehun do?”

 

“He can apologize?” Yifan says slowly, unsure whether this is a question that will get him into trouble no matter how he answers.

 

Zitao nods once, resolute. “Exactly. So I’m putting you in charge of Sehun. I’m too vulnerable to his puppy eyes to even try and teach him anything.”

 

“B-but –!” Yifan splutters. “What, you’re saying it wouldn’t affect me?”

 

“You’ve been with me for five years,” Zitao says brightly. “You’re immune to my cuteness, aren’t you?”

 

Yifan furrows his brows as he thinks. “Uh …”

 

Zitao balls his hand into a loose fist and holds it against his cheek. “Bbuing bbuing,” he says as he curls his lips into a kittenish smile.

 

Yifan stares then sits up, jostling Zitao on the hammock as he gets off. “Where did you keep ‘Basic Manners for Your Children’?” he asks, venturing into the house in search of the book.

 

Zitao can only shake his head in helplessness. Yifan’s going to be killed by Sehun.

 

 

 

 

 

Yifan spots the younger twin in his room, trying to build a tower of block with only one hand. He stays still and watches for a while, confused as Sehun lets out a sigh of defeat when the tower comes crumbling down, his hand twitching behind his back.

 

“Hey, buddy,” he says, sitting down next to Sehun. “Why are you using only one hand?” He taps the hand held behind the boy’s back. “This one wants to help too.”

 

“In-in won’t talk to me because I falled over Soosoo,” Sehun says in a sad voice. “I must punish myself. No more using lefty for playtime,” he says, nodding once for emphasis.

 

Yifan’s confusion doubles, an eyebrow cocking towards his hair. “Um. Okay?” He clears his throat. “Sehun-ah, your mother has been talking to me, about how you can’t apologize?”

 

“Sehunnie can!” Sehun protests, standing up with an indignant expression over his features. “Sehunnie can say ‘story’ whenever he wants to!”

 

“Sehunnie also said the wrong word,” Yifan pulls Sehun into his lap. “Say it after me – sorry.”

 

“Story.”

 

Yifan shakes his head. “Sorry,” he emphasizes.

 

“Lorry.”

 

A vein twitches near Yifan’s temple. “I’m sorry.”

 

Sehun shakes his head and pats Yifan’s arm. “It’s okay, daddy. I was never angry.” With a smile, he stays on Yifan’s lap and goes back to building his tower, one arm still firmly locked behind his back.

 

Yifan groans and drags his hand down his face. This is going to be harder than he thought.

 

 

 

 

 

Zitao peeks from behind the kitchen doorway and spies Luhan watching television. It’s a bit odd, considering how he and Sehun are usually stuck together no matter what. Zitao sits next to Luhan and Luhan glances up at him and smiles. “Hey, mama.”

 

“Hi, sweetie.” Zitao leans forward and pecks Luhan’s forehead. “Where’s your brother?”

 

Luhan shrugs, his attention back on the television. Zitao’s gaze flickers on the screen and almost sighs when he sees that it’s another rerun of The PowerPuff Girls. He doesn’t mind that his boys like the cartoon series, but their idolization of the trio is getting ridiculous. He needs to introduce them to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or something soon. “He said he’s punishing himself.”

 

Zitao’s eyes grow wide at this. “What? Why?”

 

Luhan shrugs again. “Jonginnie won’t talk to him after he tripped over Kyungie, so he’s punishing himself.”

 

“How?” Zitao splutters.

 

“He playing with his toys but he can only use one hand.”

 

Zitao blinks, resisting the urge to sigh in disbelief. “Some punishment.”

 

“Exactly,” Luhan nods resolutely, arms folded. “It’s too much for a kid.”

 

Zitao just shakes his head.

 

 

 

 

 

“Sorry.”

 

“Dory.”

 

“Sorry.”

 

“Forty.”

 

“Sorry.”

 

“Nori. Ooh, daddy, can we get sushi?”

 

“No. Sorry.”

 

“It’s okay, daddy. Maybe next time.”

 

Yifan grits his teeth painfully hard. “Sorry.”

 

“Fairy.”

 

“That doesn’t even rhyme!” Yifan almost explodes. “If you’re deliberately going to be stubborn and not say what I’m saying, at least make it rhyme!”

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

“Cherry.”

 

Yifan groans into his hands.

 

 

 

 

 

Zitao’s teaching Luhan, the more intelligent one of the twins, how to count to forty-six (because he says it’s Seokie’s favorite number) when Yifan comes stumbling into the living room with Sehun attached to his leg, groaning with every step. He flops on the couch and lifts his leg up, Sehun hanging on like a koala. When Sehun grins and doesn’t seem to be letting go any minute soon, Yifan groans again and puts his leg back down.

 

Zitao smiles encouragingly at Luhan and pats his head, going over to Yifan and sitting next to him on the couch. “Hey, sweetie,” he greets, kissing his cheek. “What’s the matter?”

 

Yifan glares at Sehun, who releases his leg and runs over to Luhan. “Sehun’s a stubborn little kid who won’t learn how to say ‘sorry’.”

 

Zitao chuckles, pushing his husband’s hair back. “I told you. What did you do?”

 

“What else?” Yifan gives his husband a look of incredulity. “I cut the lesson short. Little brat’s giving me nothing but a headache.”

 

“Well, I’m sure you did your best anyway,” Zitao smiles, kissing Yifan on the lips.

 

“I did,” Yifan grumbles.

 

 

 

 

 

“Hello?”

 

“Zitao, it’s me.”

 

Zitao perks up. “Oh, hello, Xing ge. Is anything the matter?”

 

“Well, yes. It’s regarding Sehun.”

 

Instantly, Zitao’s worried, clutching his phone with both hands. “Sehun? Did anything happen?”

 

“Well, yes and no. See, the kids were having their snack break, and Jongin and Sehun were sharing some Jell-O. Jongin dropped the plastic spoon and when Sehun bent down to pick it up, he accidentally kissed Jongin on the cheek.”

 

“And then?”

 

Yixing clears his throat. “Well, erm, afterwards, he and Jongin just stared at each other for a while before Sehun took Jongin’s face in his hands and kissed his cheek even longer. Who taught him when to apologize?”

 

Zitao blinks at the question, unsure what that has to do with anything. “Yifan. But he cut the lesson short when Sehun was being uncooperative.”

 

Yixing laughs lightly, the amusement clear even through the phone. “Well, that explains it. Jongin was blushing hard by then, and Sehun took his hand and said, in the most serious tone I have ever heard from him, ‘I’m sorry for kissing you’.”

 

Zitao drops his hand, an unamused expression on his face. Of course it’s nothing serious once it’s regarding Sehun. “Oh. I see …” He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “All right, I’ll have a word with him. Yifan can’t be trusted with teaching Sehun, I swear. Thanks, ge.”

 

“Don’t rush him, though. I think Jongin enjoyed it.”

 

Zitao laughs. “Okay. Thanks again, ge. Bye.” He hangs up and sighs, scrolling through his phone for Yifan’s contact number. “You hopeless idiot, you.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

 

 

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- Sorry for not updating in so long >n< My other fic is taking a bigger toll on me than I thought TnT
- I didn’t feel like this was good, but I tried my best with this. Hope you still like it ouo
- Sehun you little haha.
- Here’s the breakdown of the families should I actually introduce the others in the future ouo:
1) Papa Kris + Mama Zitao = Baby Luhan and Baby Sehun
2) Papa Joonmyun + Mama Jongdae = Baby Minseok
3) Papa Chanyeol + Mama Baekhyun = Baby Kyungsoo and Baby Jongin
4) 2nd Mama Caretaker Yixing \o/