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⇒ Conference Room - JYP Building
11:00am

To Chan, the air conditioner wasn't supposed to be so loud, so many pairs of eyes weren't supposed to be glued onto his lowered head, and his heart was not supposed to be beating so fast. The walls suddenly felt too close to his shaky figure and, the air suddenly felt too dense to keep his inhales and exhales even. But still, he knew that he had to do it. After all, he was the one who requested the meeting, right? Right.

So sucking in a breath, Chan closed his eyes, head finally lifting to catch a glimpse of each of the superiors' gazes, as well as the inspiriting ones of his bandmates. "I asked for this meeting, to bring something important to your knowledge." He started confidently, internally commending himself for the lack of any crack or quaver in his voice, and finally breathing more freely when a hand brought a reassuring squeeze to his thigh; the left one, making it known that the touch belonged to Changbin who was sitted at his side.

"And what might that be?" Mr. Park spoke up, firm gaze almost making Chan squirm in his seat, and chin pressed up against his palms as his elbows leaned upwards on the table. "I hope everything is alright."

"Well, everything is alright, I should say. Because with what I am about to bring across, it may seem like a big deal, but it is nothing that I can't handle." Chan spoke even more assertively that time, small smile cracking up one side of his cheek when he glanced at a satisfied looking Jisung, both of them nodding in agreement with the decision to start off with such persuasion. Glancing over at his rather attentive manager, he inhaled deeply before speaking up again, eyes closing for a few seconds and, fingers anxiously fiddling with each other underneath his side of the table. "A few months ago, I broke the dating ban."

The elder among them all visibly tensed in his seat at Chan's statement. His eyes, they went wide, and his arms that were previously prepped against the smooth tabletop swiftly slid down to meet the slim stretch of his thighs. "You did?" He asked sternly, eyes somewhat narrowing yet maintaining the most professionally calm expression on his face. "Go on."

"Yes, I did. And for that, I apologize. I shouldn't have broke such an important rule, or since I was so desperate... and since I love him so much, I should have requested for it to be lifted properly." Chan spoke humbly, hoping that his comment about love would somehow play on the heart of his superior, and make his story more pitiable. "And yes, my lover is a he. A hermaphrodite, to be exact... Which is another reason why we are here today."

And then the room went silent. The unblinking eyes staring at 3racha's leader seemed way more anticipative than they were at the start, and Chan could only lift both hands to meet those of the others as they found his thighs, fortifyingly, to aid in the sounding of his next line.

"I messed up, and I admit that. But what's done is done, and I'm willing to accept any kind of bearable penalty. But just know that, I can maintain my duty here, as well as my duty for the responsibility of what I'm about to mention." Chan inhaled deeply before speaking again, lower lip almost drawing blood at his teeth's harsh bite against them, and eyes closing for a brief moment, before the output of his words, to let a heartwarming image of his family bring hope as light to the back of his eyelids. "My boyfriend is pregnant... with my children."

Low gasps could be deciphered from the eldest, as well as the group's manager and few other vital staff surrounding that table, and Chan could only look down. He couldn't help but sniffle and, he couldn't keep back the one tear that slid down and over the hidden dimple on his cheek. And one could easily asume that said male's burdened demeanor was as a result of sheer regret and disgust with himself from getting someone, let alone a male, pregnant, but no.

No because, Chan's tear was from fear. The lump in his throat was from suffocating trepidation and, the headache brewing to the back of his head was as a result of nothing but anxiety. Because he had worked hard. He had worked too hard to let those seven years of training go to waste. He had been working too hard to lose rights to all the tracks that he had helped with and, to lose membership from the group that he had practically grown up with. Chan had worked too damn hard to diminish the positive aspects of the image that he had painted for himself to the public.

Too hard.

Too hard to lose it all.

So he let another tear drop fall, mentally scolding himself for such act and, blinking rapidly in attempt to draw back whatever amount of the salty liquid that had formed a line for his cheeks. And then he looked up, eyes meeting those surprisingly soft ones of Mr. Park and, brows arching at the empathy lingering in the older's gaze.

And then the man in charge spoke up, eyes glancing down at his thighs as he brought both hands back up to the table and, lips stretching upwards into the smallest, most comforting smile that he could muster up. "Why are you crying?" Was all he asked as he stared at Chan, head tilting to the side when said boy reluctantly let more tears trickle down his cheeks, and soft hum of reassurance sounding from his throat, as well as Jisung's and Changbin's.

Sniffling, Chan lifted both hands to wipe his teary cheeks, eyes not at all willing to boast their new, slightly red color to the people in that room, thus choosing to just keep a settled stare at his sweaty fingers on his thighs. "I- I just, I don't wanna lose everything." He spoke softly, strings of spit lifting with the roof of his mouth, and thick gulp mocking a tsunami in his throat. "I mean, I understand that I did wrong and that there are penalties but, I don't want to lose everything that I've worked for..."

Sighing, the superior looked down, head shaking as if the given confession was too much for his older mind and, eyes only meeting the perplexed gazes of all souls in that room when another sniffle was heard from the band leader in front. "What- what do you want us to do for you, Bang Chan? Are there any other requests that you have?"

Eyes finally the meeting with the calm ones over at the other end of the table, Chan wiped his cheeks once again, deep sigh heaving his chest, and words sounding with the slightest bit of hope due to the man's evident lack of rebuke. "I- I would appreciate if I could move out of the dorms... to live with him and the kids when they're here... And I would also like to buy a car for myself... not one where I'd have to have a driver. And I'm asking because I know, these rules are strict, and I don't want to make the same mistake, like I did with the dating one, by not asking first."

"Alright." The superior nodded, shoulders lifting and eyes observing the similar gestures from the group's manager at Chan's request. And in all honesty, the pride of his position was practically begging for the more selfish yet less dominant section of his mind to be more authoritative and impose some sort of punishment on the idol but, he couldn't.

Because the middle-aged man knew what it was like to work hard for something, and not be willing to lose it. He was there for all of those years, watching the hard working artiste build himself and pick himself up after many, many setbacks so, he couldn't let Chan go. He couldn't. Not even if he wanted to. So sighing again, Mr. Park continued, soft and reassuring tone inducing Chan's tears to a halt, and calming the tension lingering in Changbin's rather threatening glare.

"I understand where you're coming from, and I believe that you have learned your lesson and that your apologies are genuine. So you will be granted those privileges or whatever you wish to call them." He smiled as he spoke, nodding at how Chan's previously melancholic demeanor didn't hesitate to brighten into one of sheer relief and gratefulness. "However, if we find that you're not balancing work and home life properly, then we'll have no choice but to remove from the group, or some other alternative. Because as much as your case is understandable, the company's name is still at stake."

"Y-yes. I completely understand, and I promise to balance everything properly." Chan spoke quickly, head nodding at an almost unrecognizable pace, and tongue smacking against the roof of his mouth as he regained his calm composure. "Thank you so, so much for understanding and giving me this chance. And my boyfriend is a good person, so we don't have to worry about him disgracing me and the company at all. Thank you so very much. And once again, I apologize for not letting you know earlier."

"Okay, Bang Chan. Thank you for coming in humility as well." Mr. Park nodded, hands already shifting to meet the edge of his chair as he prepared to draw it back from the table. "But, one more thing... Do you know when the children are due?"

"Some time in October."

"Will you be present for the delivery?"

"I- I hope to be."

"Are you prepared for the media?" The superior spoke cautiously, eyes observing the slight shift of placidity in Chan's expression, and one arm lifting to flatten itself along the table rather than keeping prolonged grip on the chair. "Because you know, people will talk when they see you in that hospital, and when they see the children with your last name as well as resemblance."

"Yes I am. I'm prepared, Mr. Park... Because my family comes first."

-

⇒ Blueprint Apartments
4:45pm

With a deep sigh quivering his bottom lip, Felix opened the door to his apartment, tired eyes too focussed on finding the made bed in his bedroom to notice the dark blonde strands of hair peeking up from his sofa. Groaning softly, he slid his phone and key into the tray on the kitchen counter, hands wasting no time before finding the hem of his T-shirt and sliding it up and over his head as slurred steps carried him to the closed door of his room.

And then Felix plopped back-first onto the bed, eyes somewhat closing to settle his tired breaths and, ears too focussed on the low hums of his pulse to make out the light footsteps nearing his open door. So with both eyes shut, Felix's did in no way notice the grown man leaning against his doorframe with the widest smirk plastered on his face.

And Chan could only chuckle as his legs carried him closer to his shirtless lover on that bed. Sucking in a light breath, he parted his lips to speak, laughter only growing louder at the younger's almost terrified expression when they finally locked eyes. "Lix, you need to be more observant, you know."

"What the- what? What the fuck? Chan when did you get here?" Felix sat up quickly, still careful with his tummy in mind but, fast enough to grab a pillow to cover up his torso as if his boyfriend had never seen him naked before, let alone shirtless. "And remember, I'm pregnant. Don't scare me like that again."

Sighing, Chan nodded, palms lifting to gesture that he accepted the blame, and body sitting itself next to Felix's slightly fidgety one. "Okay first of all, get this pillow out of the way so I can say hi to my kids." He teased, shifting the bag of cotton from Felix's slack grip, and leaning down to pepper the latter's stomach with kisses. "Hey," he started softly, smile growing at the way Felix shivered under the tickles of his warm breath, and hand lifting to give the stretched skin a light pet. "You won't believe what happened today."

"What happened-"

"Let me talk to my children, baby." Chan glanced up to glare playfully at his boyfriend, smile dimming into a smirk when a somewhat childish yet humorous thought sprung up in his relaxed head. Sighing satisfactorily, he continued to speak, ignoring Felix's piercing gaze to the back of his head and, solely focussing on telling his children how his day was. "Today, papa had a meeting with his manager and staff..."

"Oh- wait it was today-"

"And papa told them everything... and they took it so well. They said that papa can move in with you and your dad, and that papa can get a car to drive all three of you around. And papa gets to keep his job." Chan giggled, heart softening even more when a single tear could be felt on a small spot of his exposed shoulder, leaving him to internally applaud himself for choosing to wear a muscle top for that visit. "Look, your daddy is crying." He sat up, wasting no time before leaning in to kiss Felix's lips ever so lovingly, still with an undying smile lifting his lips. "We get to be together comfortably, baby."

Sniffling, Felix pulled the older back in for an even deeper kiss, palms cupping Chan's dimpled cheeks and, head tilting for better access into both their mouths. Their tongues met, swirling together with nothing but love and, their noses, though longing for a large intake of oxygen, dusted themselves red as they periodically met to add a sparkle of eskimo kisses into the couple's intimacy.

It was amazing, that kiss.

Because they were finally a family. And both knew that though the word seemed simple and captivating to many, a lot of what it brought along would not be easy, especially when monitored by public eye... But the point still stood that they were a family.

And Felix loved that.

Felix loved being a part of his own little family.

"I'm so happy, Channie." He sniffled as they pulled away, hands still holding onto his lover's cheeks and, eyes gazing so, so adoringly into the other's that mirrored his chocolate ones so perfectly. "They gave you absolutely no problems at all?"

"None at all. They were actually really understanding, and I wanted to surprise you so I used the spare key you gave me to come in and wait..."

"I'm happy... Really happy..."

"I'm happy too, Lix. And it's already Tuesday, so I'll start moving in by Saturday." Chan spoke reassuringly, head nodding before connecting his forehead with Felix's and, giving his lips a light peck. "I love you. I really do... And I want to be with you for as long as possible."

"I love you too, Chan. And I want to be with you for as long as I live..."

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