Just thought I'd make quick mention of Chinese names, since this story will feature multiple Chinese characters :)

Starting with Zhou Mi- Zhou Mi's surname is actually "Zhou" and his first name is "Mi." In all of my stories, I've always referred to him as Zhou Mi because I've noticed that most people just call him Zhou Mi and I wanted to avoid confusing readers. Likewise, Song Qian or Victoria is actually just "Qian" and her last name is "Song." I think it's especially difficult for kpop fanfiction readers to differentiate as they may be more familiar with Korean first names, which all have two syllables.

I admittedly got a little confused myself and I had to look at the Chinese writing for their names in order to determine what theiir first and last names were with certainty. In Hong Kong, which is where I'm from, our Chinese names are a little different because we don't usually have monosyllabic first names as many mainland Chinese people do. For instance, Jackson from Got7 is from Hong Kong and his first name is "Ka Yee" (which is pronounced more like "Ga Yee"). Some names are immediately obvious for me, while others are not. It depends on the region in China from which a person comesand even within mainland China, there can be variations. Tao, for instance, is "Huang Zi Tao"; he has a polysyllabic first name unlike Mi and Qian.

For the purposes of this story, I shall continue to refer to Zhou Mi simply as Zhou Mi, Song Qian will be Song Qian (I've noticed that many authors also just use her full name as her first name) and Han Geng will be Han Geng, although his first name is just "Geng."

I'm hoping that this won't make things even more confusing for readers haha ^^' I just wanted to maintain a certain level of constancy.

On another somewhat irrelevant side note, Zhou Mi's solo album is awesome :) He has such a great voice and is a talented song writer. It certainly feels good to see both Henry and Zhou Mi having successful debuts, especially given the utterly undeserved hostility by which they were faced when they began performing as part of Super Junior.

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Kim Heechul staunchly refused to participate in a blind date and it wasn’t as though Hangeng had easily persuaded him to “just meet Mimi.”

“You’ll like him, I promise,” Hangeng had enthused when Heechul finally agreed to the restaurant date that Hangeng had planned.

“Maybe I will, but not like that,” Heechul had insisted, in turn.

He’d been single since graduating from university and succeeding his father as CEO of his family’s company and despite Hangeng’s best intentions, Heechul really didn’t see himself suddenly settling down with someone, as Hangeng had with his fiancé, Jungsoo. Frankly, he’d only conceded to Hangeng’s slyly arranged double “date” because Hangeng and Jungsoo would be there; since the couple had moved to Hangeng’s native China on account of Hangeng’s work, they could only spare time to visit South Korea once every so often. As far as Heechul was concerned, the “date” part of the dinner really only extended to Hangeng and Jungsoo: he could only see himself and this mysterious “Mimi” as third wheels.

“Why don’t you and Jungsoo just go for dinner? I’ll meet up with you guys another time,” Heechul had tried to escape the date before realizing that Hangeng would all but force him to go.

“Mimi’s new to Korea. It’d be nice for him to get to know someone before Jungsoo and I head back to China,” Hangeng had carried on in response, completely ignoring what he knew was Heechul's attempt to avert the situation.

Normally he would have respected his best friend's wishes to simply carry on with his life as a bachelor, but the thought of Heechul and Zhou Mi as a couple was simply too fitting to resist intervening. Having just arrived in Seoul from China, Zhou Mi really needed a friend and Hangeng knew that as much as Heechul claimed to be too busy with work, he could use some company.

“Well… fine,” Heechul had reluctantly accepted, although he had really wanted to ask Hangeng why on earth he thought that it was best to entrust Mimi to his care. “But you don’t have to hold your breath for me to fall in love with him or anything.”

“No, I don’t,” Hangeng had simply smiled smugly, the expression on his face wordlessly adding “because I know you will.”

“Shut up,” Heechul grumbled. "...What time's the dinner?"

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Kim Heechul had never stopped in his tracks to stare at someone, so stricken was he by their appearance, until Hangeng and Jungsoo entered the restaurant at which they were to meet, a tall, nervous-looking and utterly gorgeous young man at their side.

“This is Zhou Mi,” Hangeng informed Heechul, who still hadn't managed to divert his eyes from the bashful beauty, with a far too “I-told-you-so” tone dripping from each word.

“Thank you for coming to meet me,” Zhoumi had said shyly, his soft, melodic voice captivating Heechul all the more as he bowed and tried to look at Heechul without blushing, although rosy pink painted his cheeks.

He felt horribly self-conscious about his accent as he spoke in Korean and he now felt even more self-conscious with someone as attractive as Heechul listening to him.

“It’s my pleasure," Heechul said quickly, making Zhou Mi smile and Hangeng smirk.

"You're welcome," Hangeng said smugly to Heechul, as Jungsoo and Zhou Mi were busy in conversation.

"Shut up," Heechul muttered, although he still couldn't help but to steal another glance at Zhou Mi.

He was beautiful.

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Heechul arranged to meet Zhou Mi three days later; technically, it wasn't a date. Rather, he wanted to show Zhou Mi around Seoul and yes, he did want to get to know Zhou Mi better. He certainly was entranced: Zhou Mi was so sweet and gentle and Heechul found himself looking forward to seeing Zhou Mi every time they planned to meet each other.

Zhou Mi was just as happy to know Heechul: he was admittedly scared about being in Seoul all by himself but he had to go in order to teach Mandarin. He came from a rural farming village in Wuhan and as his aging parents' only child, he really needed to do his best. He'd never felt more insignificant and unprepared however, than when he arrived at the airport, seeming to have forgotten all the Korean that he'd ever learned. He'd excelled at the city university that he had attended in China but even his top grades seemed meaningless as he struggled to communicate with the customs' officer who soon switched from speaking Korean to Mandarin as she noted how much difficulty Zhou Mi was having and noticed his Chinese passport. She'd meant well, but Zhou Mi was so embarrassed and from then on, lost his confidence. He'd also encountered others who were not quite as welcoming and gave him strange looks as he tried to speak. He cried a lot, too- he missed home, his job really wasn't going as well as he had hoped and he was terribly afraid that he'd be a disappointment to his family. Aside from Hangeng and Jungsoo, he didn't have any friends either, until he met Heechul. Heechul was so kind to him and Zhou Mi felt comfortable around him. Heechul might seem a little aloof, sarcastic even at times, but Zhou Mi understood him, probably more than Heechul knew and as they got closer, even more than Heechul understood himself.

Heechul, in turn, felt gradually more and more protective of Zhou Mi. He noticed how sad Zhou Mi sometimes seemed when he struggled with Korean and how nervous he was when he had to talk to people whom he didn't really know in Korean. His admiration for Zhou Mi only grew when he found out from Hangeng why it was so important to Zhou Mi to succeed in Korea.

Heechul really had no idea when he fell in love with Zhou Mi, but he did and he certainly wasn't disappointed when Zhou Mi readily accepted to be his boyfriend. Zhou Mi had cried then, too, although he never needed to be embarrassed around Heechul. He'd been in love with Heechul for a while, himself and he'd resigned himself to never having a relationship deeper than friendship with him.

"You're beautiful, Mimi," Heechul whispered, kissing Zhou Mi- it was Zhou Mi's very first kiss- and five years after first meeting each other, they were married and not more than a year after their wedding, Zhou Mi had their first child.

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"Song Qian, can you get the cookies for your brother's recital?" Zhou Mi asked his eight year old daughter- his and Heechul's oldest child- as he fixed their second child's suit.

Henry (Zhou Mi had named him Xianhua, but Heechul, despite insisting that all of their children have Chinese names in honor of their mother's culture, had quite a bit of difficulty pronouncing his son's name, so the couple had chosen "Henry" as his English name: it was much easier for his father to pronounce) had a piano recital that afternoon. It was his very first time performing in front of anyone other than his family and he was very nervous.

"Mama... what if I make a mistake?" Henry said in a small voice, fidgeting with the hem of his suit as his mother finished fixing his tie and his older sister went to get the plate of cookies that Zhou Mi had made himself the night previous.

He was only six years old and had been playing the piano for just three years, but he was already excelling far beyond his age. His instructor had gone so far as to call him a prodigy and Heechul and Zhou Mi certainly were aware of how good their son was. But Zhou Mi was Henry's mother and beneath the talented performer that his son appeared to be, Zhou Mi knew well that Henry was just a little boy.

"Then you'll make a mistake," Zhou Mi smiled, kneeling down in front of his son. "You don't have to be perfect all the time, Henry," Zhou Mi giggled as he hugged Henry. "Appa and I are proud of you no matter what. If you try your best, that's good enough," he reassured and kissed Henry's forehead, making the little boy smile.

"Henry, are you ready to go?" Heechul joined Zhou Mi and Henry, with his and Zhou Mi's youngest child, their one and a half year old son Zi Tao, in his arms.

"I think so, Appa," Henry smiled, feeling decidedly better after talking to his mother.

"He's just a little nervous about the recital," Zhou Mi filled Heechul in as Heechul handed him Zi Tao.

"Aw, don't worry, Henry; you'll do great," Heechul grinned, ruffling Henry's hair and making him smile.

"Mama, I got the cookies," Song Qian stated proudly, brandishing the saran-wrapped plate.

Zhou Mi had become quite a proficient baker over the past few years: Song Qian took both traditional Chinese and Korean dance lessons and just like her younger brother's music recitals, a small reception for parents and students had always followed. Zhou Mi had had plenty of opportunities to practice in the kitchen, with Heechul as his readily available taste tester.

"Thank you, sweetie," Zhou Mi smiled. "Want to bring them to the car?" He offered, charging his daughter with the very important duty of bringing the cookies to the recital.

Song Qian nodded enthusiastically.

Heechul led Henry and Song Qian to the car, carrying Henry's music books and Zhou Mi followed, smiling as Zi Tao played with his necklace.

"Mama..." Zi Tao smiled, hugging his mother.

Zhou Mi giggled, hugging Zi Tao tighter. Zi Tao was shy just like he was and he was Zhou Mi's little baby. Younger than his siblings, Zi Tao wasn't yet quite as verbose, but he was doing quite well in learning both Mandarin and Korean as were his brother and sister. Not only did Zhou Mi speak to them both in Korean and Mandarin at home but they also took family trips back to Zhou Mi's home town every year to visit Zhou Mi's parents and as Heechul wanted, for Wuhan to become just as big a part of their lives as Seoul was.

"I think your brother's going to play really well," Zhou Mi cuddled Zi Tao as, making sure he had a camera with which to take pictures in his purse.

He'd done the same with Song Qian's dance recitals and not just for her first one. Both he and Heechul had a tendency to become quite engrossed in their children's performances: while Zhou Mi took pictures, Heechul recorded videos on his iPhone, which both he and Zhou Mi gushed over afterwards.

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No matter how firmly certain Zhou Mi was that Henry would do well, he was still nervous when Henry's name was next on the program, right after the brief intermission, that his piano instructor had printed out for parents and audience.

"I'm so nervous...!" he whispered to Heechul as the concert hall began to settle again for the second half of the concert.

He felt a little ridiculous: his heart rate was increasing, his hands were clammy and even a little shaky as though he was the one performing. But he knew that the performance meant a lot to Henry, who aimed to play piano professionally when he grew up and as Henry's mother, he was just as nervous as his son.

"He'll be fine, Mimi," Heechul grinned, discretely wrapping his arm around Zhou Mi's waist and rubbing his lower back.

"I know... but I'm still nervous," Zhou Mi chewed on his lower lip as he surveyed the stage anxiously.

Heechul had to admit that he was a little on edge, too. He really wanted Henry to be able to perform as he expected himself too; he never ceased to be amazed by the potential that his son showed and this was one of many moments during which he really couldn't believe that he was a father. Indeed, his life had changed quite a bit from attempting to avoid meeting Zhou Mi to marrying him and having children with him.

As Henry emerged from backstage, so too did Heechul's phone emerge from his pocket as did the camera from Zhou Mi's purse. Song Qian was extra alert as her brother took his seat at the piano and even Zi Tao, who would normally be having a nap at this time, was intently fixating upon the stage.

Zhou Mi didn't even realize that he was holding his breath until he finally let out a relieved exhale as Henry finished his piece, brilliant from start to end. The clear happiness on Henry's face as he realized that everyone was applauding for him made Zhou Mi happy, in turn, but it was the big smile that he had as he rejoined his parents that really made Zhou Mi all warm and fuzzy inside.

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"I'm exhausted," Zhou Mi heaved as he threw himself on his and Heechul's king-sized bed, beside Heechul after they'd prepared for bed that evening.

Henry's first recital had been more emotionally draining than he had thought, regardless of how well it had gone and despite the fact that he'd already been through a similar emotional rollercoaster during Song Qian's first dance recital. Then, in celebration, they'd gone out for dinner and of course, there were the things to do at home that Heechul and Zhou Mi did every evening: getting their kids ready for bed, reading them stories and tucking them in for the night.

"Me too," Heechul admitted, wrapping his arms around Zhou Mi and pulling him closer.

They had to laugh at each other at that, distinctly remembering how late they were able to stay up when they had first married, just talking to each other or maybe being a little intimate. It was only ten o'clock now and already, they were more than ready to go to bed.

Managing a burst of energy, Heechul flipped their positions so that he hovered atop Zhou Mi's delicate yet still muscled and regally elegant frame. Zhou Mi smiled back at Heechul as his cheeks colored and he combed his fingers through Heechul's hair. They shared a few kisses

They had never really talked about how many kids they wanted to have; they'd just had them. But they had discussed maybe having another baby when Zi Tao got a little older. Heechul didn't want to make Zhou Mi feel pressured about having another baby, though and he especially didn't want Zhou Mi to feel as though it was his job to have their children. Zhou Mi never really had a particularly difficult pregnancy (in large part because of how well Heechul took care of him), although he'd had a bit of a hard time carrying Song Qian since she was their first. Still, Heechul worried about Zhou Mi- he didn't like seeing him feel nauseous and so tired that he couldn't even get out of bed. And he didn't want Zhou Mi to have to go through so much pain to have their children more than Zhou Mi was willing to.

But as long as Zhou Mi was certain that he wanted another baby, then so did Heechul. In any case, they planned to wait until Zi Tao was at least three years old.

"I love you," Heechul whispered against Zhou Mi's soft lips as Zhou Mi contentedly masaged his bare shoulders.

"I love you, too," Zhou Mi smiled, leaning up to kiss Heechul again.

Zhou Mi's smile broadened as, with the lights dimmed, Heechul's lips mapped out his neck.

Maybe they would be having another baby a little earlier than when Zi Tao turned three.

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Thanks for reading; I'll probably turn this one into a series ^^

x Angela