omg time passes so quickly? i can't believe 3 months are gone like that... i've been busy with life and playing/watching stuff in my little free time. i've also sold my old car and gotten a new one hehe! august has been a good month so far and i've used the energy to finally finish another update <3 i hope everyone will like it again!

btw WOOHYUN SOLO ON SEPTEMBER 3RD GUUUUUUUYSSSS!!!! WHO IS EXCITED WITH ME

Sunggyu shifted awake. He was feeling way too warm for comfort. Why was it so hot under the blanket? He groaned and opened his eyes. Sunggyu almost screamed out loud in shock because Woohyun’s face was right in front of his. He held his breath, as if not to startle the sleeping man. He blinked a few times as his mind returned back to reality. The older man remembered the events of last night. I hugged Woohyun! Why did I do that?! Sunggyu dared to sigh and observed the sleeping male. Woohyun’s handsome face made his heart pound wildly in his chest and for a second he thought about those lips, but then Sunggyu spotted the red, puffy eyes and the thought was gone.

Unconsciously, Sunggyu reached out with his fingers to touch Woohyun’s face. The younger man suddenly frowned in his sleep and he quickly retracted his hand. “What am I doing?”, he muttered. He carefully separated Woohyun’s arm from where it had settled around his waist and rolled out of the bed. Sunggyu checked the time. It was almost 8 am, so Haneul would most likely wake up and demand food soon. Normally, the toddler woke up between 6 and 7 am, sometimes even 5 am on bad days, and refused to go back to sleep after his meal. It seemed like a miracle that Haneul was still sleeping at this time. Or maybe Sunggyu’s nephew was wide awake and quietly playing around in his bed, waiting for someone to come for him instead. He was tempted to check on the little boy but didn’t want to risk waking him, so he decided against going to the nursery.

He went into the bathroom to give his bladder the long-awaited relief, took a quick shower and then brushed his teeth after he got dressed again. Afterwards, Sunggyu grabbed the baby monitor from the bedroom and sat down on one of the chairs in the living room. He really couldn’t wait for the new couch to arrive. And the bed for the guest room. Woohyun will be sleeping in his own bed tonight. Sunggyu felt his heart sink. He lightly hit himself. Don’t be sad about it! Be relieved! He looked at his phone and replied to a few messages, before checking the local news. Quickly, he felt bored but right then his phone vibrated from a new incoming message.

[Sunggyu-hyung, good morning! I just wanted to say I’m sorry again. My condolences – I didn’t know something horrible like that had happened to you. I feel like an idiot for my comment yesterday. If there’s anything I can do to help, please contact me anytime. Have strength, hyung.]

Sunggyu smiled shortly. Myungsoo was a good kid. They had formed a friendship during his internship, despite their age difference. He had never favored Myungsoo above the other interns though. The college student had proven to be the best among the interns through his hard work and quick thinking skills. He was also intelligent and ambitious; all character traits Sunggyu liked to see in upcoming architects. To strangers, Myungsoo often seemed cold and serious, but in private the young man was friendly and even a little shy at times. He was the little brother Sunggyu always wished he had. Quickly, he sent a reply.

[It’s okay, don’t worry about it. There was no way you could’ve known about it. Don’t let this distract you from your exams. Study hard, young friend.]

[Hyung!! Why do you always have to talk about my studies!!]

He chuckled and only sent the grinning devil emoji in reply. Sunggyu had just sent the message when he heard Haneul through the baby monitor. First, there were only sounds of rustling as the toddler tried to move in his sleeping bag, then a sigh followed by a whimper. Sunggyu waited until it became clear the boy wasn’t going back to sleep before he stood up and turned off the baby monitor. He wanted Woohyun to sleep a little longer. With quiet steps, Sunggyu headed over to the nursery. He quickly slipped inside. “Ssh, Haneul. Don’t wake up your dad.” The word was out of his mouth before he knew it. It was strange to call Woohyun Haneul’s father in front of him, but was it wrong? Obviously, Woohyun was suffering as well. Did he have any right to make him suffer even more? He felt like a bully, taking this small joy from the younger man. Woohyun had also lost Seungah and now he was taking Haneul away from him.

Sunggyu pulled open the curtains to let light into the room. Haneul squinted and made a noise of distress. “Hey, you’re the one that wanted to get up, sleepy head.”, he said with a chuckle. Sunggyu picked up his nephew and put him on the changing table. “You must be hungry. I don’t think Woohyun remembered to feed you last night. I know you love your bottle of milk at 3 am.”

Haneul babbled tiredly as Sunggyu got him out of the sleeping bag. He tossed it back into the crib before laying the toddler on the changing table again. With swift movements, he changed the diaper and thanked the heavens there was no poop in them. “I’m glad it’s just pee but someone has to poop soon or we’ll have to see a doctor.”, Sunggyu said to his nephew who only cheered in reply. “Look at you being happy at the mention of poop. You’re looking forward to making Woohyun suffer? I’m not going to change that smelly diaper, no no.”

He dressed Haneul for the day next and then picked him up again. Haneul leaned against his chest for support and Sunggyu wanted to pull the pacifier out of his mouth but the boy made a face close to crying when Sunggyu touched it. “Fine, you can keep it a little longer, but be quiet outside. Someone had a rough night and it wasn’t you for once.”

Quietly, Sunggyu opened the door again and carried the toddler to the kitchen. He noticed there was a growing wet spot on his chest where Haneul was drooling all over him. Sunggyu made a face. “You always drool so much with the pacifier in your mouth. Doesn’t it bother you? You’re ruining all my shirts every day.”

Obviously, the boy wasn’t bothered in the least. Haneul pushed himself up with his hands against Sunggyu’s chest when he saw the powder for his milk. “Ah!”, the baby called out and the pacifier went flying to the ground. Haneul didn’t mind the loss though and instead became increasingly agitated at the thought of a meal. Sunggyu rolled his eyes softly and started to prepare the milk. It was quiet hard with only one free arm - and an overly aggressive baby in the other arm - but he tried his best. Haneul started whining in impatience. “You weren’t even crying for food a second ago! I’m doing this as fast as I can, okay! Sorry I’m not as fast as Woohyun is.”, Sunggyu muttered as he multitasked between rocking the toddler and preparing the milk.

Of course everything would get done quicker if he had both hands and he could put Haneul in the playpen, but Sunggyu was afraid the toddler would only cry louder then and definitely wake up the younger man. As soon as the milk was done and at an acceptable temperature, Sunggyu got into a comfortable position on one of the chairs. Haneul latched onto the bottle tip immediately and with an eagerness that made it look like he hadn’t eaten a meal in a week. The older man smiled down at the toddler with a mix of amusement and love. Haneul was happy and health and that was how it was supposed to be. He had promised his dead sister to always make sure of that. I hope your mama can see you from up there, Haneul.

“’Morning.” A sudden voice ripped him from his thoughts and Sunggyu flinched slightly. Geez, for how long has he been there?!

He looked at Woohyun. His hair was sticking in all directions and his eyes weren’t fully open yet. “Sorry, did his crying wake you up?”

He shrugged and walked over to touch Haneul’s head. The toddler stopped for a moment to look at his father and smiled. “Good morning to you too.”, the younger man said and sat down on another chair while Haneul resumed his meal.

“Are you feeling better?” Sunggyu asked.

Woohyun grimaced as he remembered how he broke down in front of the older man. “Let’s forget it ever happened.”

“Woohyun-“

Suddenly, the younger man’s expression became hard. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Somehow his reaction angered Sunggyu. “You always make me talk about my feelings!”

“As you always stress, we aren’t friends. I was out of place last night.”

Before he could find the right words to say, Woohyun excused himself and said he was going to take a shower. Sunggyu’s eyes followed him until he was gone. He frowned at the empty space. “What is wrong with him suddenly? Did he get up on the wrong foot this morning?”

He looked at Haneul and found the toddler looking at him with an almost accusing gaze. “Why are you giving me that look? I didn’t do anything! He’s the one who suddenly shouted at me.”

Haneul sighed at him and Sunggyu huffed. “I didn’t say we can’t be friends. Okay, maybe I did. I just— I’m scared of becoming closer with him I guess, for several reasons. A part of me is still scared he might betray me if I let down my guard.”

The toddler pinched the skin on his hand. “Ouch!”, Sunggyu exclaimed. Haneul babbled something in his incomprehensible baby tongue. “So you think we should be friends? Is that what he’s mad about?”

He got no other reply from the boy. Haneul went back to drinking his milk instead. Sunggyu