free your minds.

enjoy!

x x x

Four years later...

PARK BAEK HYUN

Two years ago, Park Chanyeol's grandmother and I decided to open a gallery. I wasn't really involved that much in the said business but I come by the place once in a while to visit, help, or deliver more of my works. Those were my agendas for today so it was already quite dark when I came home. The evening was undoubtedly chilly and I shivered in delight as the warmth inside the penthouse welcomed me just as I stepped out of the elevators. Sighing, I just started shrugging off my coat and removing my shoes when I suddenly noticed Nhoei standing right beside me.

"Oh god!" I gasped, clutching my chest with a start. "What are you— You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Park Nhoei stared up at me with his wide, emotionless eyes. "Sorry, Papa," he mutters. He is already wearing a pair of pajamas so I guess both he and Nari are ready for bed. The thing about our son is that he didn't outgrow the very blunt and passive personality he had when he was younger. One would very seldom extract any reactions from him, and they would try making him laugh or teasing him until Nhoei would just calmly excuse himself and be with his favorite companion— Peanut. And just like any other ordinary day, he is again holding Peanut in one arm as they both look up at me. Sometimes, when he stands like this in the middle of a darkened room, the scene seriously scares me.

"Sir Nhoei!" A voice called frantically and I looked up to see Soo-Ah scrambling towards our direction in her uniform. "Sir Nhoei you haven't combed your hair— Sir Baekhyun!" her eyes went wide when she saw me and then she bowed low as a greeting. She's still clasping a comb in one hand. "Good evening, sir," she says. Soo-Ah is Nhoei's personal nanny. She's young, around twenty-five, as well as Damli, who is the one in-charge of Nari. Although they are quite inexperienced with house works, they're always willing to learn from the older house helpers. But most of all, they adore the twins so much and take care of them really well— That's the most important for me, so I like them.

"Good evening, Soo-Ah," I grinned. "I just arrived."

"I'll tell them to prepare the dinner then, sir," Soo-Ah said and when I nodded, she bowed again before retreating back to the house.

After finally removing my coat, I returned my attention to Nhoei, leaning forward and touching our son's cheek lightly. "Okay..." I breathed deeply, shaking off the previous shock I experienced. I'm easily startled, okay?! No one can blame me! "What is it, sweetheart?" I asked. "Were you waiting for me?"

Nhoei nodded once and wordlessly just took my hand and led me to the stairs. His wavy black hair is a mess over his head and I have to reach out and straighten them and out of the way. The twins are already six months away from their fifth birthday and I cannot believe time flew by so fast. It almost felt like opening a new chapter of a book.

As we walked through the hallways of the second floor, Nhoei's hand around my fingers just grew tighter. "Nhoei, honey, are you okay?" I asked him gently.

Our son looked up at me, brown eyes almost glimmering with the light. Huh? Are they watery? "I heard—" and then he stopped short before throwing Peanut a quick glance as if the cat in his arms could understand what he was going to say. Oh. Can I just point out how inseparable Peanut and Nhoei are? And how close Nari and Rain are? Chanyeol and I were even forced to find stuffed toys which looked exactly like our cat and dog because the twins go crazy when we leave the pets at home for some reason. "Later, Papa," Nhoei whispered as he kept leading me past his room, around a corner past Nari's, and to their old nursery where it was converted to a playroom or study. I curiously reached out and opened the door where we found Nari hunched over a paper on the carpet, coloring.

She looked up when she heard the door open. "PAPA!" she practically shrieked, standing up quickly and opening her arms wide so she could give me a big hug. "PAPA, I MISSED YOU!" She screamed at the top of her lungs and I immediately knelt and took her in my arms, giggling against her poorly tied hair.

"Hello, sweetheart," I kissed her chubby cheeks. "What were you doing?"

"I'm trying to draw Rain, Papa," Nari mumbled against my neck, still hugging me tight. "But he won't stay put."

"Oh, he won't?" I grinned, throwing a glance at Rain who is restlessly walking around the room, biting on bean chairs and rugs. "Let's draw him later, okay? Papa's going to help you."

Our daughter pulled back and excitedly stared at my face. Her cheeks are pink and her small eyes are wide open with glee. Nari and Nhoei are fraternal twins and they're starting to look more different from each other as time went by. But they're both so cute sometimes my heart can't take it.

"Really, Papa?" Nari breathes in pure awe. She always loved painting or drawing with me, especially in large canvases.

"Sure!" I exclaimed happily before reaching up to brush long black strands of hair off her face. "But what happened to your hair, princess? Why is it so messy? Come here." I moved to sit on the carpeted floor and pulled Nari onto my lap. I started removing then fixing her ponytail because good god it looks like a chicken did it.

Nari scratched her cheek. "Daddy did it," she says. "He said he wanted to try a new hairstyle."

The answer made me chuckle in amusement. "And what hairstyle was that supposed to be, hm?"

"I..." Nari frowned then threw me a quick, unsure glance just as I finished tying her long hair in a bun. "I don't know, Papa..."

I laughed loudly and Nari smiled back at me so wide it looks like she is glowing. She likes watching people laugh and loves grinning with them even though she doesn't really know what's so funny. I guess it makes her feel happy, too, in a way.

When Nari returned to her drawing, the hem of her long Frozen sleeping gown touching the floor, she took the paper and started following Rain around the room, begging the dog to stay put. I was also about to ask Nari why she's alone in the room and where's her Dalmi-unnie when I noticed the blinking light of the baby monitor on one shelf indicating that my husband's already home and is most probably in our bedroom changing into some cleaner clothes.

"Papa..." someone called and then Nhoei suddenly sat across from me, putting a book between us. He isn't holding Peanut anymore so I guess he could already tell me what's up. "I asked Soo-Ah-noona to read this book for me this morning..."

"Oh?" I gently took the book from the floor and flipped it, glancing at the cover quickly. It's an encyclopedia with animals on its cover. "Isn't this a book from your Dad's study, Nhoei?" I asked our son kindly. "Didn't Daddy tell you never to take anything from his office?"

Park Nhoei nodded slowly. "But Papa, Daddy gave us a whole bunch of books from his study yesterday," he explained, even making a huge gesture with his arms. "This book came with them."

"Oh, okay," I smiled. "What do you want to ask me then, sweetheart?"

"Papa..." Nhoei took the book and pointed to something on a page. It's a picture of a Persian cat with white fur and grey eyes. "Is it true, Papa? What Soo-Ah-noona read?"

I frowned, curious, before traveling my eyes towards the colorful page about felines. "What did she read...?" And then I saw it— A sentence on the book that made Nhoei this much invested. "The average lifespan of cats—" I started to read quietly but stopped short the very second I realized where it's ending. Sitting up straight, I flipped the book close and smiled wide at Nhoei. "Honey... I-It's—"

Okay. Fuck. How do I do this? Do I lie?! Am I allowed to lie to my four-year old son?

"Is it true, Papa?" Nhoei asked again but this time, he's already chewing on his bottom lip, trying so hard not to cry. The sight broke my heart into pieces. "But—" he sniffled. "But I don't want Peanut to die, Papa," And that's when our son broke down. He started crying, tears quickly running down his cheeks like an unending waterfall.

"Oh, sweetheart," I cooed, pulling him quickly to my lap and hugging him close. "Baby... Please don't cry. It's going to be okay. Peanut is a very strong cat! He won't die!"

Nhoei hugged my neck as he cried. "But the book said they're going to die earlier than people, Papa," he whined. "I don't want to die later than Peanut, Papa. I want us to be together forever!"

I shook my head and kissed his hair. "My love—" But when I looked up, Nari is already standing before us, eyes curious as she watches her twin brother cry against my arms. Cluelessly, Nari slowly sat on the floor and reached out to pat Nhoei's back. Her eyes are definitely showing the same sad feeling, but they're kind of unaware, too, as to what's making her brother so upset.

"It's okay, Nhoei," she murmured as she pats her brother's back. "It's okay..."

Nhoei pulled away from me just enough so he could give his sister a sad glance. "Peanut will die after this years," he sobbed, opening his fingers to show Nari the number of years. "I don't want Peanut to die, Nari."

And as if a pail of cold water washed through her, Park Nari froze, her eyes going wide in obvious shock. She slowly turned to me and I immediately recognized the very same look Nhoei was just having a few seconds ago. Uh-oh. "Papa..." Nari started in a shaky voice. "I-I don't want Peanut to die, Papa," she sniffled. "P-Papa... What do we do? W-Will Rain die, too? I don't want them to die, Papa." And then she basically threw herself to me, arms hugging my neck as she cried with her brother. The twins wailed and cried unintelligible words that probably revolved around making our pets immortal or making people die at the same time with their pets.

I barely succeeded in enveloping the twins with my arms. "Babies..." I started in a gentle voice. "Rain and Peanut are very strong, so they will be with us for a very long time. You don't have to worry so much, my loves."

The twins are still crying and I don't think they heard even half of what I said over the superimposed wailing. When I looked around, our pets were silently watching us from one corner— Peanut on a beanbag chair and Rain abandoning an already-destroyed rug. I brushed our children's hairs with my hand and they both looked up at me, eyes expectant and filled with tears. "Papa..." Nhoei sobbed. "What do we do, Papa?"

Oh my god. Their eyes are already red from crying and no matter how I cooed and murmured assuring words to their ears, it just seemed to fuel their sadness even more. Is it because I look incredibly sad, too? But it hurts me to see them like this. We never make them cry. They don't cry like this before! What am I supposed to do?

"Please don't cry," I pout and I swear, I'm already close to crying myself. I bit my lower lip and hugged them even tighter. "If you don't stop crying, baby, I think Papa's going to cry, too."

Nhoei looked at my face and pursed his lips to keep the sobs from coming, but Nari doesn't seem to let go of the new information she just learned tonight. When Nhoei realized his sister's not going to stop crying any sooner, he let out another sob and cried his heart out even harder.

"Oh, loves," I sobbed, pulling them closer against my chest. "Please stop crying... It's not— No one's going to die, sweetheart..." I tried wiping their tears though they just kept coming and brushed hair from their already wet faces. The twins just hugged me so tightly like I'm the only leverage to hope they have right now. Too bad. Because I'm kind of close to breaking, too.

Where the fuck are you, Park Chanyeol?!

"What the—" Someone suddenly said and I barely had the ability to turn around because of how the twins are holding unto me. Standing at the door is my husband, Park Chanyeol, in some clean white shirt and black shorts. "What's happening here?" he asked, confusion plastered all over his face.

"Daddy!" Nari cried and she ran to Chanyeol immediately. "Daddy, Nhoei told me they're going to die," she sobbed, tugging at Chanyeol's shirt until my husband picked her up in his arms. "I don't want them to die, Daddy."

Chanyeol looked like Nari said a bad word. "What?" he breathes. "Who's going to die—" then he turned to me. "Honey, why are we talking about death here?" Chanyeol moved to sit beside me on the carpet and with his presence, Nhoei started to calm down a little, sobs regressed to little sniffles and eyes watching his Daddy expectantly. I ran one hand over our son's back, soothing him as I press small kisses on his forehead. Our children look up to Park Chanyeol a lot. It's like nothing can go wrong if their Dad's right there, so maybe Nhoei's thinking my husband's going to solve whatever dilemma they're currently in.

"You gave my babies an encyclopedia!" I scolded my husband, giving him a sharp glare.

"What's so wrong with that—" Then Chanyeol reached out to touch my face, his lips quirking to a small smile. "Aw babe, you're going to cry, too?"

"Shut up," I swatted his hand. "It's your fault anyway. You made my babies cry."

"What?" Chanyeol looked at me incredulously. "Why is it my fault?"

To answer his question, I pulled the villain book closer then pointed to the page with the "Nice-to-know" box that apparently proved that no, it wasn't nice to know for four-year-olds with immense love for pets.

Park Chanyeol's eyes widened a little before he looked at our children. Nari is still sobbing against his shoulder while Nhoei is sitting on my lap, face pressed against my neck as he sniffed, seemingly tired from his recent breakdown. Chanyeol then traveled his eyes to me and he mouthed a silent, "I'm sorry," which made me shake my head in amusement. He probably didn't realize educational books can be too educational sometimes. "Hey," Chanyeol cleared his throat as he gave Nari's hair a gentle brush. "Remember when Daddy always tells you both that you should take good care of Peanut and Rain because they're also your best friends?"

Nari wiped her face with the palm of her hand as she shared a look with her twin brother. They glanced at Chanyeol then both nodded solemnly. Truth is, the twins grew up to be such responsible children. We give them little tasks such as feeding the pets, helping with bathing them, or grooming them, and they do well without any complaints that's why Chanyeol and I are really proud. They even know how to keep their toys in place and fix their beds.

"Well, of course, animals aren't the same as humans," Chanyeol continued before throwing our son an adoring look. "Nhoei, do you think animals are the same as humans?"

Nhoei thought for a while, glancing at me, before responding a soft, "No, Daddy." He is playing with the sleeve of my sweatshirt as he listens to Chanyeol intently.

"That's right," Chanyeol grinned at him. "And because we're different, sometimes they live shorter than us but sometimes, they can also live longer than human beings! Isn't that cool?"

"B-But—" Nhoei started to protest. "I want us to be together forever, Daddy..."

Park Chanyeol chuckled, his eyes dancing in amusement. "Well... Okay..." he nodded slowly, obviously thoughtful. "But you guys have to promise me and your Papa that you'll take better care of them. Because if you love them so much and you take care of them with all your heart, they're going to live so so so so so long."

Both Nari and Nhoei sat up straight like they are just being handed chocolate bars. "We promise, Papa and Daddy," Nari started said. Her eyes and nose are already red from crying and seeing my kids like this, even if it's because of a thing I didn't expect them to cry over, hurts my heart so bad.

Nhoei abandoned his playing with my shirt and nodded to Nari's statement. "Nhoei promise, too," he wipes his face free from tears and I hugged him close and showered his face with gentle kisses as I giggle. They're just so cute, oh my god.

"Papa! Papa!" Nari scrambled off Chanyeol's lap to run to me. "Papa, I want kisses, too," she demands and I laughed out loud before gently pulling her to my lap.

"Okay, okay, here you go, princess," I muttered before kissing her face adoringly as she laughs and squirms.

"Papa, give Daddy a kiss, too!" Nari suddenly exclaimed before pointing her finger excitedly at Chanyeol.

My husband, on the other hand, just smiled wide, wiggling his eyebrows before leaning forward and giving me a teasing look. "Come on, you gotta listen to the kids, babe," he murmured. The twins have this wide-eyed and expectant looks on their faces and as much as I hate Chanyeol's smug face right now, I cannot deny our kids this small joy.

"You're lucky I love you three," I whispered before giving my husband a quick peck on the lips. Nari and Nhoei cheered like they just won an award and Park Chanyeol chuckled as he suddenly cupped my face to kiss me again. It was slow and sweet and my brain practically melted like a candle. He makes me fucking swoon so bad I do not know what I should do with him.

That night, the twins slept with our pets and although Peanut hates being snuggled, he let Nhoei tuck him in his blankie. Rain slept in Nari's room like always and the two would be cuddled up against each other until dawn when Nari starts moving in bed and basically turning a hundred and eighty. It's funny how we would find the Husky sleeping on the carpet the next day because his bedmate ends up hogging the entire bed.

"They're going to end up having puffy eyes tomorrow," I groaned just as I joined Park Chanyeol on the bed. He immediately closed the book he is reading to wrap his arm around my waist and kiss my temple.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I didn't know the book contained those kinds of facts."

I reached up and pinched his cheek. "It's fine, honey," I giggled. "You are always so good at calming them down anyway. You gotta teach me how you do that!"

Park Chanyeol pulls back a little so he could look at me. He has this sly grin on his face as he reaches for my cheek, gently caressing the skin. "First step is you must not cry with them," he muttered and I have to roll my eyes.

"If that's the first step then I give up," I mumbled.

My husband chuckled. "Don't worry, Park Baekhyun. I'll handle all the crying," he started before leaning forward to kiss me. "Then you... Can just handle me."

"Oh, yeah?" I giggled against his lips. "Just you?"

"Yeah," he murmured. "Just me." Park Chanyeol's kisses traveled all over my face before sliding back to my lips where he suckled and deepened the kiss. One of his hands slipped under my shirt, feeling the warm skin underneath, just as I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back enthusiastically. A gasp escaped my lips when my husband suddenly and effortlessly pulled me over his chest until I was straddling him. The momentary surprise I had was an obvious opportunity for Chanyeol to slip his tongue into my mouth as he sat up and pulled me even closer against his chest. His hands worked all over my body, tracing the curve of my waist and groping my ass.

"Babe—" I pulled back for air and Chanyeol worked his way down my neck, leaving sucks and licks in their wake. I moaned because god he kisses so good and I can't help but run my palms through his hair as he feasts on my neck. "Honey..." I breathed, gently reaching for his face so he could look at me. Park Chanyeol's eyes are dark with lust and obvious want but he still regards me with attention. I brushed my thumb over his lower lip affectionately. "I would love to do it tonight, babe," I murmured. "But I'm kind of tired..."

With that, Chanyeol blinked a few times as if he's shaking off the lewdness. "Oh, okay," he smiled so kindly before taking my hand and pressing his lips on my palm. "It's fine," he whispered. "It's okay, my love. I understand."

I bit my lip. "I'm sorry..."

Chanyeol's eyes went slightly wide. "Why are you apologizing, baby?" He asked with a chuckle.

"I don't know..." I shrugged. "I just felt like it..."

"No, no, no," my husband took my face in his hands and pulled me closer so he could plant a soft kiss on my forehead. "You don't have to apologize for that, Baekhyun," he looked into my eyes endearingly. "I love you and I respect you so much, okay? It's not your fault. No one's at fault here..."

I nodded and let him kiss me again. "I love you, too," I whispered back. "And thank you."

Park Chanyeol stared at my face for a while before he let out a light laugh. "God. What am I going to do with you, hm?" He breathes. "You're too adorable..."

"Yeah, I know," I winked.

"See!" He laughed out loud as he took my hands and pressed them against his cheeks. "Fuck, I love you so much. I love you," he kissed my knuckles. "I love you," he kissed my palm. "I love—" and then Park Chanyeol stopped mid-sentence as he noticed something on my hand. "What—" he frowned. "What are these? Why do you have abrasions on your hand?"

"Oh!" I looked at my palm and remembered about the scratches just now. "I went to the gallery this morning and helped unload some of the paintings and sculptures that arrived. They were kind of gigantic so I guess I got scrapes here and there—"

"Babe, you don't have to do that," Chanyeol looks so pained right now as he inspected my hand with a deep frown. "Why are you so helpful anyway— Are you hurt anywhere else? Does your hand hurt?"

"No! I'm okay, I'm okay!" I chuckled. "It's just my hand, Park Chanyeol."

"You sure?" He kissed my palm again.

"Yeah, I'm sure, honey," I nodded and before he could suggest something dramatic— like maybe hiring more gallery staff or carrier machines— I got off his lap and lied on the bed beside him. "Come on, let's sleep," I suggested. "Tomorrow's the twin's first day of school and we ought to go with them."

Park Chanyeol sighed but went to wrap his arms around me anyways. "Okay, okay," he breathed as he pulled me so I could rest my head on his chest. "You sure you're okay, hon?" He asked one last time.

I tipped my head back so I could give him another kiss. "I'm sure," I whispered. "I love you."

My husband smiled back. "Good night, my love," he pressed his lips on my forehead. "I love you, too." 

PARK CHAN YEOL

Breakfast was the same as always. It was a mixture of food, a hundred questions from the twins about school, and a million times of me and Baekhyun reminding them to eat their food properly and not spill anything. My husband was immensely patient— Answering the most ridiculous questions to the most absurd ones as he eats his meal gracefully. I tried matching his calmness, though, but phone calls from the office kept coming and I could only concentrate on half of the conversations on the table.

Park Nari is beyond excited and she keeps jumping and skipping as she walks and runs to wherever, choosing her bag and her clothes that would go with whatever her brother will wear. Rain likes excitement and the dog keeps following her as he barks and jumps for whatever reason he could understand. Nhoei on the other hand is as calm as one can be, but kind enough to entertain his sister who kept cheering him up and asking him what he would wear. He gives small smiles once in a while just so Nari wouldn't feel alone.

It was around eight in the morning when the twins descended the stairs, wearing matching Marvel clothes with the Rain and Peanut stuffed toy versions tucked under their arms— Nhoei got the cat one while Nari clasped the dog toy. "Daddy, let's go!" Nari jumped as she grabbed my hand. "We're going to be late!" The twins were actually homeschooled for a year before we decided it'll be nice to expose them to other kids and regular school, especially Nhoei and his almost non-existent social skills. I don't really know his stand about this but he seems to be just okay, while Nari seems to be sky-high with excitement.

Baekhyun's supervising the café today and he looks lovely in a cream-colored coat and salmon pink sweatshirt, I almost forgot what I'm going to do next the moment he took my hand in his. "Hey," he grinned. "Let's go."

"O-Oh," I stammered, blinking a few times. "Yeah... Let's go."

We headed towards the elevators but I guess my husband could still feel eyes on him, so he turned to me and slapped my arm. "Hey! Stop staring, Park Chanyeol!" He complained. I mean, I would! But it's kind of difficult when Baekhyun suddenly looks this pretty today.

"You look like you had a very good sleep," I grinned.

Park Baekhyun looked up, thinking. "I guess I did," he smiled. "Thank you, Park Chan."

"Huh? Why're you thanking me?" I asked.

"I like your hugs," Baekhyun beamed at me. "Thank you for making me feel so secure every night."

At that moment, I guess I want to just kiss him and hold him so close, but all I did was chuckle and look down shyly because I don't know. I guess I was blushing so bad and I don't want Baekhyun to tease me about it. And he didn't though. He just giggled and brushed my cheek gently as he cooed. The twins were initially confused about why Baekhyun and I were laughing together but they were easily distracted by a story my husband made up on the spot about a reindeer who's looking for a job at Santa's workshop this coming Christmas. The story didn't end and took a lot of turns even as we arrived at the school my in-laws were recommending ever since last year. We actually researched about the school, too, and I think it's a good place especially if we want our children to explore a lot of learning opportunities.

Yulje Academy is a huge early school for children which offers different specialties for learning. There's art, literature, music, academics, sports, and so much more. My husband and I decided to enroll the twins in some reading, math, and art classes and if they enjoyed the experience, maybe we could let them stay for two more years before they finally enter grade school. It's not really a place for the elite or the rich and that's good because as true as it is, we don't want the twins thinking we're actually billionaires.

The campus is buzzing with people and little kids are running around, playing with their friends. As soon as I stop the car, Nari is already feeling ecstatic on her booster seat as she looks out the window and watches other children. "Look Papa! That kid's shoes are lighting up!" She gushed. "It's so pretty!"

"Yes, sweetheart, it is," Baekhyun grinned. Then he turned to Nhoei, "Baby, are you okay? You look like you're really worried."

Nhoei looks up from playing with his Peanut stuffed toy. "I'm okay, Papa," he mutters before smiling a little. And I don't doubt that. Nhoei is okay with the public. People don't make him uncomfortable or scared. He isn't exactly shy or antisocial. It's just that, he's not that much into making friends or talking to others. I don't know the exact reason, but I think strangers just do not interest him.

"There's your building," I pointed to a white edifice with the walls covered in murals. Children, together with their parents or guardians, scrambled towards the said direction in hurry or excitement, and two professionally-clothed teachers greeted the new comers with glee. I turned to the twins and realized I am quite more nervous for them than I initially thought. "Okay, kids," I started. "What did your Papa and I tell you?"

Nari and Nhoei answered in unison, "Listen. Be kind. Make friends."

"Oh! And please don't hurt yourselves, okay?" Baekhyun added. "You can play around as much as you like but please don't get hurt, my loves."

"Yes, Papa!" Nari nodded.

I pointed to one of the black cars joining our convoy. "Sir Sungho and Sir Yejun will be around to look after you so don't cause them any problems, okay?"

Nhoei leaned forward. "Will they be wearing those scary black suits again, Daddy?"

"Um, no..." I answered. "They'll be dressed as... Civilians... I guess."

"Alright then, let's go?" Baekhyun asked and the twins nodded in unison with Nari emitting a happy cheer. I honestly do not know where she got such a cheerful personality. Maybe from my sister? Or Baekhyun's brother? I mean, my husband is a sunshine but Nari is just... exploding with so much light. As soon as we stepped out of the car, two of our bodyguards, namely Sungho and Yejun, also moved out of their vehicle in their own version of normal clothes. They still got their intercom under their sleeves and dead serious looks on their faces as they surveyed the place. I actually reminded them to calm down a little but old habits die hard I guess.

"Sir Sungho! Sir Yejun!" Nari exclaims as I helped her out of the car. She waved high in the air at the bodyguards and the two awkwardly bowed low to her as a greeting, obviously still not knowing how to act around their boss' children. Nari pouts at the lack of enthusiasm from the two but she let it slip and took my hand instead.

Arriving at Yulje in a five-car convoy didn't really scream normal so I wouldn't blame the people around us if they're throwing us curious glances now. Some, especially the females, murmured statements to each other I don't really care to know and the elderly ones are kind of fixing us with intriguing stares. Nari and I hurried to join Baekhyun and Nhoei who were already walking up the stairs, the teachers we already met before giving us knowing smiles.

"Oh, it's the Park family!" Miss Joy, the twin's teacher exclaimed, clapping her hands once.

"Hi!" Baekhyun greeted her with a large smile. "Say hi to your teachers, kids."

"Good morning, teachers!" Nari beamed at Miss Joy and to the younger instructor beside her. "I'm Park Nari!"

"Good morning, miss," Nhoei greeted respectfully, although a little grim. "I'm Park Nhoei."

"Hello, Nari and Nhoei," Miss Joy leaned forward and smiled wide at the twins. "I'm Teacher Joy and this is my apprentice, Miss Yeri. She will be helping us with our classes today," she introduced the young woman beside her who happily bowed low to us. Nari waved at them both and her eyes traveled to the room behind her teachers which are already filling up with other kids. Joy seemed to notice this so she giggled and moved to the side. "Do you want to meet your classmates now?" She asked.

Nari jumped but contained herself as she looked between me and Baekhyun, eyes asking for permission. "Go ahead, sweetheart," Baekhyun grinned. "We'll see you again this evening, yes?"

Nari cheered and jumped a few times. "Okay, Papa!"

The twins reached up and gave Baekhyun and me kisses on the cheeks and whispers of 'I love you' before we watched them disappear behind a pair of glass doors. When I look at my husband, he has this really wide smile on his face and eyes that show nothing but pure happiness. He looks so content and so proud and I hope I get to see him like this everyday.

"They're twins but they're different in a lot of ways," I told the teachers with a small smile. "Please be patient with them."

"Of course!" Miss Joy exclaimed. "We'll take care of them, Mr. Park."

Baekhyun smiled shyly. "I hope it's not too much to ask, Miss Joy," he started. "But do you remember the thing I told you about Nhoei...?"

"Oh!" Miss Joy grinned. "We'll help him. Don't worry."

"Thank you," Baekhyun bowed and he looks so humbled by the friendly way the teachers are taking his requests. He started to explain to the two teachers the presence of two bodyguards for the twins who would be subtly looking after them just as my phone started ringing. My husband looked at me.

"It's So Eun," I said. "Please excuse me."

I gave them an apologetic bow before walking away a few steps so I could receive So Eun's call. She was just reporting about a representative from YanMing Corporation who wanted to set an appointment with me this Sunday. YanMing is a very big partner company and I do not normally accept meetings on a weekend but I guess I could make an exemption. My secretary proceeded to give me the details and when I hung up, I looked back and saw my husband not talking to the teachers anymore. Rather, he is being spoken to by a pair of elderly women. They're standing by the stairs and Baekhyun smiled at them awkwardly.

Without much thinking, I walked over to my husband. "Hey," I called out. "What's—"

"Is he your husband?" one of the old ladies pointed to me. They do not look curious at all. It's more like they are intrigued.

"Y-Yes..." Baekhyun gave me a quick, troubled glance.

Then the women shared a knowing look. "What a waste."

And I think my blood pressure just shot up.

"P-Pardon?" My husband looked like he was slapped.

"Excuse me," I said through gritted teeth, butting in the conversation and slipping myself between Baekhyun and the hateful crowd. "Let me just inform you that that is not the right way to talk to my husband. Don't ever speak to him like that."

The old ladies looked so surprised at how menacing I am looking at them now and how venomous my voice sounded. They stepped back and I was about to say something more when I felt Baekhyun's hand around my arm.

"Let's go," he murmured, wide eyes glued only to my face. "Let's just go, Park Chan."

And I didn't want to. I want to tell these stupid homophobes more than I just did. Yeah, they may be old. But since when did age give you the right to treat other people this way? And since when did gender become such a waste just because it isn't what you think is 'acceptable'? I'm so sick of those people acting so high and mighty just because they walked this earth longer than anybody else or just because they stuck with the system. I'm so sick of this kind of culture. I am so mad and ready to fight anyone but when I looked at Baekhyun and saw the discomfort in his eyes, I don't think I ever calmed down too fast in my life before.

"Babe—" I started to say just as he tugged on my coat.

He smiled a little. A forced one. "Kyungsoo said he needs me," he explained. "There are a lot of people at the café today."

I studied his face a little more while and noted how his smile faltered so subtly. It broke my heart. It broke my heart to a million pieces and it hurts me because I cannot do anything. I should have been there. I shouldn't have answered that stupid call.

A long, controlled breath escaped my lips before I nodded once, wrapping my arm around my husband's shoulder before guiding him back to our car. I opened the passenger side for him and when he's already settled inside, I looked back and fixed the two women with deadly glares until they were the ones to look away.

The ride to the café was quiet.

Park Baekhyun is chewing on his bottom lip and playing with the hem of his sweatshirt as he stared past the windows of the car. He didn't even notice when I turned off the music inside the car and didn't even hear when I asked him something about the weather. He seemed to be deeply lost in thought and as much as I want to pry his mind open and let his worries flow unfiltered, I know my husband. And I know when he needed time in his own mind palace.

We arrived at the café in no time and Baekhyun reached over to kiss me. "Pick me up around six?" he asked with a smile.

"Sure. I'll be there," I nodded.

"Okay. See you, honey," he moved to open the door but I stopped him.

"Hey... Babe?" I called and Baekhyun turned to me with expectant eyes.

"Yes, Park Chan?"

I gaze at him softly. "Are you okay? Do you want to talk about what happened?"

"...Oh," Baekhyun bit his lip and looked down. "I don't know... I just want to— I just want to work today... I guess."

"I understand," I murmured, nodding. "But I'm right here, okay, babe? Just send me a text and I'll come running whenever you need me."

Park Baekhyun smiled wide and he took my face in his hands so he could kiss me again. "I know," he whispered. "Thank you."

"I love you," I whispered back and that made Baekhyun grin. He planted a swift kiss on the tip of my nose and that's it before he opened the door and stepped outside. The morning is a little cold and I watched my husband walk towards the café, pulling his coat tighter around his body. And when I saw him laugh after hearing something Do Kyungsoo said, I guess that's the only time I felt comfortable enough to drive away. 

I did pick up Baekhyun at around six in the evening and he definitely looks and sounds better than he did this morning. He kept giggling as he told me about this actress who visited the café and thought that he and Kyungsoo are idols who are on a mission to pretend as baristas. I laughed with him, especially on Kim Jongin's possessive remarks, but I am more pleased at the fact that he isn't as troubled as I initially thought he would be by the end of the day.

It was also unusual but Nhoei and Nari were already sleeping when we arrived home. Sungho and Yejun reported that they were probably too tired to wait for their parents because apparently, they spent the whole day playing with other kids. Their nannies, on the other hand, also made sure they were able to eat dinner before going to bed. Baekhyun and I checked on them before finally retreating to our own room that night, but instead of finding my husband sleeping when I stepped out of the closet, Park Baekhyun was sitting cross-legged on the bed, obviously waiting for me.

"Hey," he smiled as I approached him.

"Okay..." I slowly took the space across him. "What is it you wanted to talk about?"

Baekhyun's eyes widened a little. "Am I really that obvious?"

"Straight back, fixed hair, wide eyes," I gestured at him. "You look like you're going to announce some big news, hon."

"Well—" Baekhyun pouts, shoulders dropping. "It's just... It's about what happened this morning..."

"Oh," was all I managed to say as I waited for my husband to start saying anything.

"I'm beginning to think... If sending the twins to a regular school was a good idea," Baekhyun started in a quiet voice. "I know we already talked about this. And I already know the benefits it brings them but... I'm just worried, Park Chanyeol," my husband bit his lip as he stared into my eyes. His brown orbs are so beautiful but they're astoundingly sad, too. "I just—" he let out a shaky breath. "I don't want them— I don't want them to feel they're different..." And when Baekhyun looked down, a teardrop rolled down his cheeks.

"Oh, love," I breathed as I moved towards Baekhyun and pulled him into a tight hug. My husband let me hold him, resting his head on my chest as I ran my hand over his back. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that... I'm so sorry..."

"And you know what?" Baekhyun sniffled. "I don't even feel bad for myself, Chanyeol. I am used to those kinds of people. We face them every fucking day... But I'm— I'm more hurt for our children, you know? I don't want people to look at them and think that their family is unconventional. I don't want them to be judged because they were raised in a different environment. I don't want them— I don't want them to grow up and think that something is wrong with them..." Baekhyun pulled back and looked up at me. "I don't want that, honey," he sobbed. "I love them so much... And I want to protect them—"

"And we're doing a good job," I said, caressing his face and wiping his tears away. "Nhoei and Nari are good kids and we're doing a great job in raising them, hon. They are rational, smart, and loving. They never once asked if we're different even if they are capable of asking a million questions. And I don't think it ever crossed their minds, my love. They—"

"Daddy?"

Startled, both Baekhyun and I turned towards the door in unison just to see Nari rubbing sleepiness off her eyes as she tried to open the door with all her might. Another pair of hands pushed onto the wood and Nhoei walked into the room behind his sister. They both looked like they awoke from a good night's sleep. This isn't the first time, though.

"Hello, babies," Baekhyun greeted them in a gentle voice. "Why? What happened?"

The twins scrambled towards the bed, yawning. "Nhoei had a bad dream," Nari explained as she settled on my lap and pulled her Rain stuffed toy against her chest. "He said there was a monster under his bed."

"It was really scary, Papa," Nhoei said and Baekhyun giggled as he pulled on the blankets so the twins could have a space between us.

"Are you scared, my love?" Baekhyun asked as he kissed Nhoei's forehead. "You want to sleep with Papa and Daddy tonight?"

Nhoei nods eagerly as he looked up at Baekhyun. Then he frowned a little, noticing something else. "Papa..." he started in a small voice. "Are you crying?"

"Oh," Baekhyun quickly wiped his face. "No... Papa's eyes just hurt a little."

"Why?" Nari crawled off my lap so she could go to Baek and hug his neck. She reached for her Papa's face and tried wiping his tears with the stuffed toy. "Please don't hurt my Papa," she told Baekhyun's eyes and it made us laugh wholeheartedly. "Please stop hurting him."

"Oh! You're so good, princess!" Baekhyun giggled as he kissed Nari's cheeks. "My eyes don't hurt anymore!"

Our daughter smiled triumphantly like she just won an award before moving to settle beside her brother on the bed. "How was school?" I asked just as I started tucking them in. Looks like Baekhyun and I couldn't have a serious talk tonight with the twins this close and this awake.

"We did a family introduction today, Daddy," Nhoei answered as he played with his Peanut stuffed toy. "Sir Yejun and Sir Sungho even cheered for us."

Baekhyun and I shared a look. "Really?" my husband asked gently. "How did it go?"

"The teachers asked us to draw our family," Nhoei excitedly says. "But the space wasn't enough for our drawing so we drew on another page!"

"Why? Why is one paper not enough? Did you and Nari draw big?"

"But, Daddy, we need to include Rain and Peanut and Soo Ah-unnie and Dalmi-unnie and Sir Sungho and Sir Yejun and Ma'am Seyri and all the other bodyguards and helpers because they are family, too!" Nari exclaims. "But our classmates have small families and I think that is sad..."

Baekhyun pursed his lips, stifling a giggle, as he brushed Nari's hair with his fingers. "Didn't you think our family's a little too big, love?" he asked.

"Our family's big and happy, right, Papa?" Nari proudly announced. "And our classmates kept saying their mommies are pretty but you're the most beautiful for me, Papa."

My husband's eyes went wide a little and I bet he is so close to crying happy tears if it's not for the twins thinking that crying equates to being hurt. Park Baekhyun bit his lip. "Really?" his voice is barely audible. "Is that what you told your classmates?"

"YES!" Nari cheered before opening her arms wide. "You're this beautiful, Papa! Look!"

"Oh, okay," Baekhyun giggled as he tried blinking back tears. "Thank you, my love. You make Papa really really happy."

The twins proceeded to tell Baekhyun and me what happened to the school today. It also appeared that Nhoei didn't really play with other kids but there was this little girl who won't stop asking him to play on the grounds with her. It was so funny how Nhoei seemed so oblivious to it. After one round of a bedtime story regarding a young man who was enslaved by his stepmother and two stepsisters, the twins are already fast asleep. Park Baekhyun is watching me from the other side of the bed, his arm wrapped around our children protectively.

"You're still worried about them?" I asked just as I settled on my spot beside Nhoei.

"A little..." my husband admitted. "But you were right, honey. We raised good kids."

I took his hand and gently intertwined our fingers. "Love raises good kids," I murmured. "And we just have to continue making them feel that kind of love. They love us immensely, babe. They love all the other people around them. We shouldn't worry too much."

Baekhyun nodded and laughed a little. "We literally have unbothered children," he grins as he gazes down at the twins lovingly. "I just hope they won't get hurt, honey..."

The hold I have around his hands tightened. "Well... I cannot promise you that the world would be kinder anytime soon," I sighed. "But I love you and our kids, and I will protect you with everything I have, Park Baekhyun. I promise you that."

Baekhyun tipped his head to one side as he stared up at me. "How the hell do you do that?" he suddenly giggles. "It's so weird!"

"Huh?" I frowned in confusion. "Do what?"

"This—" he gestured to himself. "Making all my worries disappear so fast."

"I don't know..." I chuckled, amused. "Maybe... Maybe you just trust me a lot that's why."

My husband smiled back. "Well, you never let me down, Park Chanyeol. How can I not trust you?"

Slowly, I took Baekhyun's hand and pressed his palm on my lips. "I just want you to sleep well every night," I murmured. "I love you. I'll take care of you, alright, love?"

"I know," Baekhyun whispered as he settled his head on the pillow. "Good night, honey... Dream of me."

The remark made me laugh lightly and I leaned towards my husband to plant a soft kiss on his forehead. "I will, my love," I whispered back. "Good night."

xxx

happy halloween!

🎃