Of course there were moments when Ken regretted the divorce. He reasoned that every couple remembers the good times after a break up. He couldn’t help recalling their secret handshakes, the way N took care of him, and all the happiness. But soon after these fond memories came the nagging and the accusations and N’s overall controlling nature.

A chill ran through him as he laid on his couch upside down, watching a drama starring his favorite actress. More than he missed his wife? Husband? Um… spouse, he missed his kids. They were more entertaining than any drama. Hongbin’s honesty, Hyuk’s pranks, Ravi’s teenaged awkwardness, and Leo’s shyness always kept him laughing. Even though Hongbin’s honesty usually took the form of cruel words that cut into him with a smile. And Hyuk’s pranks often led to Ken fearing a heart attack. And Ravi’s teenaged tendencies meant not only awkwardness but raging testosterone and rebellion. And baby Leo had proven to be both shy and violent.

Still, he missed being one family of six. The little bit of time spent that way was good and he’d remember it warmly.

But screw thinking of the past when you can live in the now! The bachelor pad he bought himself was freaking sweet. He had whoever he wanted over whenever he wanted and left the apartment in whatever condition he wanted. All this without having to hear “Who is that you’re talking to? When are you going to clean this up? What are you doing?”

He could also eat whatever he wanted instead of being subjected to limited, weird new-age diets. He could say whatever he wanted without worrying about being overheard and then dealing with the scolding and/or crying. He wouldn’t say life was better this way, but he also wouldn’t say it was worse in any way, shape, or form.

Speak of the devil, he thought to himself as he heard funeral procession music playing. It was the ringtone he had set specifically for N even before their marriage ended.

He answered his cell cutely. This type of greeting used to be met with a giggle but was now brushed off with a scoff.

“Can you please be serious for once?” N asked snidely.

Ken sat upright - the proper adult way - as though N could see him childishly dangling off the edge of his seat.

“What do you need?” Ken replied, knowing that N never called just to chat.

“I need you to watch the kids tomorrow night,” N said before his voice changed to be more sing-songy. “I have a hot date.”

In the several seconds of silence that passed, N’s heart thumped with the thought that Ken was stunned into a jealous anger. Eager to hear Ken’s next plea to take him back, the mother asked, “Hello?”

To which Ken responded, “Oh, I’m sorry, I was just praying for the poor soul you plan on sinking you fangs into so you can inject him with your vicious poison before you wrap him up in your sticky web coating and then eat him whole.”

Another pause. “Yeah, so, I need you to watch the kids for that night. Can you be mature enough to do that?”

“Mature as your ego is big~”

“Alright, then this conversation is over.”

“Yay!”

Ken hurried to hang up his phone then let out a deep sigh. That was fun.

“And don’t give your father too much trouble,” N called out from his bathroom, primping himself for his “hot date.”

“We know,” Ravi groaned from the couch. He was busy watching a baby show with Leo who really appreciated the program’s dancing and bright colors, but believed some of the singers were off-key a little too often. “I don’t get why I can’t just watch the house.”

N let out an offended breath then shouted, “You know what happened last time!”

Ravi lied on the couch, sleeping peacefully with his headphones on. Meanwhile, dog feces were smeared in trails on the floor. Hongbin had broken glasses and mugs, trying to recreate a movie scene. Leo walked about due to Ravi only half-way changing the child. Hyuk had set up a complicated Rube Goldberg machine that resulted in jelly splattering all over N upon his arrival home. Followed, of course, by a fluff of pigeon feathers. N was not a happy mother.

Ravi shrugged at the memory. “I guess you have a point.”

“Besides,” Hyuk said as he and Hongbin munched on snacks. “I like dad.”

“Yeah,” Hongbin agreed with a smile. “He’s easy to boss around.”

“Well, go easy on him,” N said, walking out of his room in a skin-tight outfit and sensual make-up. “He’s probably forgotten how vicious you little demons can be.”

Hongbin visually grimaced before asking, “Why do you look so gross?”

N smiled at him. “Why do you look so phone-less for a week?”

“You look gorgeous, Mom,” Hongbin quickly corrected himself.

N pat his head as he chortled, “Thanks, I know.” Then he gasped and covered himself with his arms. “I can’t let your father see me like this. He’ll get on his hands and knees and beg for a remarriage!”

There was silence, then the home filled with laughter.

“Haha, good one, Mom,” Hyuk said.

“Yeah, mom’s rarely funny,” Hongbin added. “That was his best joke yet.”

“It wasn’t. A joke.” N stated, returning the apartment to silence.

N coughed awkwardly then slipped into a heavy overcoat. “I’ll be out as soon as your father gets here. Like I said, be on your best behavior.”

“We will,” the three older boys said simultaneously.

N walked over to Leo and bent down, rubbing their noses together. “And I know my precious little baby will be the perfect angel that he is. Yes, he will. Yes, he will.”

Leo pat his mother on the head and N assumed it was an act of love, but it was actually the child attempting to remove N from his personal space.

A knock came to the door and Ravi shouted, “It’s open!”

As soon as Ken opened the door, Leo hopped up, ran to his father, and hugged him tightly.

“Awwwh,” the older brothers cooed simultaneously.

“He’s never hugged me like that…” N muttered enviously.

When Leo let go all he said was, “Papa.”

Ravi walked up to Ken and clasped hands with him, pulling him into an embracive bro-hug.

“Yo, dad, it’s been a minute.”

The two middle children ran over to their father, holding his hands and begging to do different activities like drawing together or watching superhero movies.

Even the dog ran up, wagging its tail.

“Rovix!” Ken called out happily, petting the creature on the head.

Rovix was the family dog and very different from many of his species with a large blue head that resembled a helmet and metallic blue body. The Vixx family assumed that Rovix was the last of his breed.

“Woof. Woof.” came Rovix’s robotic bark. He was one-of-a-kind indeed.

Ken continued to warmly greet his kids in the doorway as N stood nearby, waiting.

After a few minutes, when they had all settled on a movie, Hyuk turned to N and asked, “Oh, you’re still here?”

Then the children threw some popcorn in the microwave and gathered onto the couch.

“They never watch movies that eagerly with me…” N mumbled.

“Do you let them pick the movie?” Ken asked, crossing his arms.

“I give them choices,” N answered. “And from great selections too like The Devil Wears Prada and Confessions of a Shopaholic.”

Ken stared at N blankly for a moment, then replied, “Those are great selections.”

“I know.”

“But boys their age want to see things like Spiderman and Robocop with a lot of Bsssh! and BOOOM! and Pyu pyu pyu! and-” Ken stopped talking in favor doing poorly executed karate chops and kung fu kicks. The kids cheered on the hilarious actions from the couch. “See?”

N rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I’m off… good luck.”

As N headed out the door, Ken gave him a wink. “You too.”

N rolled his eyes again then he was gone. Upon the shut of the door, happy roars erupted from the apartment, cries of pure freedom and utter joy. They watched the excessively violent movie (definitely unsuitable for two year-olds) with little order. Hongbin jumped on the couch while Hyuk threw popcorn at Ravi who was texting (probably) his girlfriend and Leo sat in attentive silence, taking in every gushing headshot and broken neck.

Ken gazed at the chaos affectionately. His boys were so happy. This was good parenting. Not the rules and regulations N tried to bog them down with. Parenting meant doing whatever it took to make sure your kids were happy.

The night proceeded on in such a manner: “What do you all want for dinner?” “Marshmallows!” “Okay!”

At some point empty snack bags and toys began littering the floor. Music continued to loudly play though the spontaneous family dance party had ended a few minutes ago as the collective crash from an ungodly sugar high began looming over the children.

Ken yawned, tapping Ravi on the shoulder. The oldest boy had fallen asleep on the ground which could not be good for his back.

“Ravi, wake up and go to your bed,” Ken said gently only to get a groan in reply. He sighed and pulled at his son’s cheek. It had ink all over it since Ravi was the first to doze off and Hyuk was quick at finding markers.

Next, Ken went to the kitchen where he lightly shook Hongbin who was curled up on the counter, wearing pajamas and his mother’s most prized pair of heels.

Ken playfully sang, “Beanie, beanie, bo-beanie, banana-fana fo feanie, fee fi mo-meanie, Beanie!”

But to no avail did his young son awaken.

At the very least, baby Leo had managed to tuck himself comfortably into his crib, however he had also stolen every pillow in the house before doing so.

“You can’t have all the pillows,” Ken commented, trying to remove just one - only to suddenly be met with a look that felt less like a glare and more like a thousand ton iron fist clamping down on his very soul, threatening to rip it out of his mortal body before throwing it into an eternal hellfire thus leaving his existence to rot as an empty shell of who he used to be.

So he left the pillows where they were.

For a moment, Ken became worried that he couldn’t find Hyuk, but he eventually located the little nerd sleeping in a half-full bathtub. Hyuk was wearing the Luffy hat his dad had gotten him for his 10^th birthday and he was also soaking wet. Ken smiled at the scene then pat Hyuk on the head.

“Sleeping in the tub is dangerous~” Ken said.

“Gum-gum…” Hyuk muttered through his slumber, fist lazily reaching up and tapping Ken’s nose. “…pistol…”

Ken could only laugh.

Having drained the tub of water and failed at fixing anything else, really, the father of Vixx family figured he’d plop down on the couch for a nap.

As he laid down, he called for Rovix, remembering the nights where Rovix would settle at the foot of the couch as Ken watched late TV.

He called out the dog’s name a good couple of times, concern rising with each shout. Eventually, he hopped up from the sofa and scanned each room from top to bottom.

He stood in the middle of the living room, after having checked behind the television stand.

“Rovix is missing,” he whispered to himself with wide eyes.

Immediately he was flocked with abruptly conscious and crying children.

“Dad, how could you lose Rovix?” Ravi snapped.

“What if he ran away forever?” Hyuk sobbed.

“What if it rains? You know he doesn’t do well in rain!” Hongbin worried. As mentioned, Rovix was a very special dog who did things like rust in the rain and drink car oil.

“Where’s puppy?” Leo hollered with a stomp of his foot. “I want puppy!”

“Calm down, calm down,” Ken said.

Despite this, the kids remained fretful over their lost dog.

“Rovix is a good dog! I’m sure if he got out, he’ll come back in no time!” Ken said this while cracking open the front door and giving a peek into the dark of night

There was a pause and then Ravi said, “I say we hold a memorial service for Rovix.”

“He was such a good dog.”

“We’ll remember him fondly.”

“Puppy…”

Ken stared at his down-hearted boys with a sullen face. Groaning inwardly, he finally gave in. With a sigh, he told the kids, “Let’s go look for Rovix.”

“Here, Rovix! Here, boy!” Hongbin called, stumbling in his poor choice of dog-searching shoes. In the back of his mind, all he could was pray that a heel wouldn’t break for the fury he’d receive from his mother would surely be a rage unlike that of a mortal.

Hyuk whistled before shouting, “C-come, R-Rovix!” He shivered violently from even the slightest breeze. His wet clothes were not mixing well with the chilly night.

“Want a treat, Rovix-boy?” Ravi yelled as he shook a bag of nuts and bolts – Rovix’s favorite snack. There hadn’t really been a proper moment to tell the oldest son that he had inappropriate body parts doodled on his cheeks and forehead. Not that had there been one, anyone one would have told him.

“Puppy! I love you, puppy!” Leo said in a normal speaking voice as opposed to his usual whisper. He kicked his legs in his stroller which he had stuffed with all the pillows before settling inside.

Tired as he pushed Leo’s stroller, Ken hollered, “Please, Rovix! Come back (so I can go to sleep these kids have somehow managed to wear me out – ME)!”

Then like a light breaking through the darkness came an electronic “Bark. Bark.”

“Rovix!” was the collective cry and the family ran towards that auditory beacon of hope. The noise led them to a junkyard where they found a security guard staring at Rovix as the dog munched on an old microwave.

“Rovix!” Ken exclaimed with a smile.

“Is this,” the security guard started, still gazing upon what was an unusual sight for him. He was 53 and had spent the past 16 years of his life patrolling the junkyard grounds, occasionally having to guide a drunkard to the nearest train or tell unruly teens to go home, but this… this was new. He looked up to the family. “Is this your…” He was going to say “toy” but lost the words upon seeing a toddler riding in a stroller full of pillows, a teenager with uh… let’s say peppers… all over his face, a kid soaked to the bone while wearing a straw hat, and what was most definitely a boy in pajamas and the cutest pair of pumps.

He stared at this a little longer before he decided he didn’t want to think about it, really.

“It’s our dog!” Ken explained happily. Rovix ran to his family, wagging his tail – which made an odd clanking sound. Guess it was time for Rovix to be oiled.

“Right.” The security guard nodded. “Your… dog.”

The family walked off, smiling, with Rovix securely leashed. “Have a good night!” they called out to the guard who could only reply with a small, confused wave.

Ken stirred awake from the sound of the front door closing. He sat up from the couch and wiped his eyes.

He looked up to see N taking off his shoes by the doorway. He naturally smiled at this and half-expected N to smile back before running over to give him a kiss. Then he remembered the past two years and why that wouldn’t happen.

“How did everything go?” N asked, glancing about to see a spotless home. In fact, the apartment looked better now than how it was before he left.

“Great,” Ken lied. “Perfect, even.”

“I hardly believe that.”

“How did things go for you?”

“Absolutely amazing.”

“Couldn’t have been that great if you’re back before morning~”

“Stop being gross.”

“You first.”

“Get out.”

Ken laughed as he said goodbye to N and headed on home. N couldn’t help staring at the door after it shut, thinking off all the things he should’ve said, but didn’t. All the things he wanted to hear, but didn’t.

Ready for a good night’s beauty sleep, N crawled into his bed and exhaled deeply, thinking,

Where are all the pillows?