┈ ┈ ┈ ⋞ 〈 🎤 〉 ⋟ ┈ ┈ ┈

⇒ Domino Fun Park
11:45am

The diamond was so shiny, causing his chocolate eyes to glisten every time he would bring his left hand up to his face. And sitting there so comfortably on that empty bench on the playground, Seungmin couldn't help but smile, head leaning backwards against the seat and, both hands finding and resting on his stretched stomach.

Sighing, he smiled even brighter, the cheerful noises leaving the mouths of the small group of children making the task of imagining the sounds of his own little boy easier and even more enjoyable.

But then he looked up, reluctance fueling the movement of his head as the call of his name did in no way resemble the tone of his fiancé, but rather a raspy yet slightly soothing one that brought back one too many dreadful memories for his peaceful state of mind.

Studying the familiar face that was gazing forward at his figure from the bench adjacent to his, Seungmin frowned, low scoff leaving his lips before a small smile could force itself up just to seem polite.

"Minho." He responded dryly, eyes choosing to settle on a glare at the older man rather than a more friendly stare, as, based on previous dealings, said male wasn't even deserving of a glimpse, much-less proper eye contact. "Long time no see."

"Yeah, it's been years." Minho smiled as he spoke, hands lifting to emphasize his surprise, and eyes scanning every promoted feature of the missed party of his favorite affair. "You look new, in a good way. You've gotten thicker."

Rolling his eyes, Seungmin scoffed again, palms stroking the cream shirt covering his belly and, head turning to avoid any further eye contact with the cheater not too far away. "And it seems like you've turned into an even bigger dick than before." He spat coldly, body shifting to the edge of the bench when Minho's provocative mindset urged him to join the younger on his wooden seat, and eyes sending periodical glances sideways just to observe if that teasing smirk had shifted even the slightest from the older's face.

And to Seungmin's surprise, it actually did fade. Instead, Minho wore a rather serious expression, the previous parting of his lips completely dispersed into a closed setting and, dull eyes staring forward at the group of giggling children. His hands, clasped at his thighs, seemed uneasy, struggling to keep his fingers still as cold sweat reduced whatever bit of friction that was there. But then he answered, voice throaty yet decipherable, and thick gulp rolling the attractive Adam's apple in his throat.

"I'm not a dick, Seungmin. I'm sorry for what I did to you in the past, but I'm not a dick."

"Oh but you are though." Seungmin cocked his head to the side as he spoke, eyebrows raising in slight disgust, and eyes narrowing as if to dig through Minho's flesh and somehow spot the adulterer of a man behind that sudden, almost persuasive defensiveness of his facade. "What are you even doing here?"

"I have her for the weekend." Minho cleared his throat, head finally lifting to meet Seungmin's questioning gaze, and the rising of the white T-shirt covering his bust boasting the strength of his sigh. "We got a divorce, even before she was born."

"Oh, I wonder why." Seungmin smiled sarcastically, head shifting to glance back at the busy streets for any sign of his fiancé and the friend who had just visited for vacation, before finding and settling on his stomach. "I don't feel sorry for you, if that's what your trying."

"No, Seungmin. I'm just saying. I messed up, I know... And after you, I messed up again, and she found out... so she ended things." Minho strained a smile, eyes already brewing some guilty tears and, conscience chastising his full mind for cherishing the thought of reaching out to the pregnant male, and landing himself in such an unnecessarily awkward position. "So, I have my daughter, Miyeon, on weekends... and she really likes playing with kids her age, so I take her here every Saturday."

"Which one...?"

"Her." Minho smiled softly as he pointed, the evident adoration in his eyes as he gazed at his daughter convincing the corners of Seungmin's lips to lift genuinely.

The little girl, dressed in a cute, knee-length, pink dress that was partnered so perfectly with a white headband, greeting at the root of those dark curls that bounced so beautifully at her shoulders, looked just like her daddy; same lips, same gummy smile, and same big eyes- only carrying the difference of a pair of chubby, rosy cheeks on her face. And Seungmin could only wonder whether the child had simply claimed every single gene from Minho, or if the mother simply resembled her ex-husband in one way or another.

Innocently, Miyeon struggled up the ladder of the free slide, a large smile stretching her cheeks when her four-year-old body slid down with ease, and an even wider grin showing on Minho's own face when his little girl's eyes locked with his, causing her stubby legs to skip through the short, sandy path and fit right into his already opened arms.

"Sweetheart, you done playing already?"

"No." The four-year-old girl giggled, cheeks puffed out cutely, and curious eyes staring intently at the pregnant male at their side. "I wanted to say hello."

"You did?"

"Mhm. Hello." She waved at Seungmin, smiling even brighter when said male waved back. "My name is Miyeon."

"Well hello, Miyeon." Seungmin answered warmly, head maintaining slow nods to show his satisfaction with her friendliness and, gaze softening at the sight of the most contented look that he had ever seen on a supposedly coldhearted man, resting on Minho's face. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." She nodded repetitively, small body twisting and turning in the embrace of her father's arms, and hands restlessly shifting despite their grip on both of Minho's knees. "But you look different from the picture on my daddy's phone-"

"W-what?" Both males stuttered in unison, Minho's palm swiftly swinging to cover his daughter's mouth, and head turning to face the other side in attempt to hide the sudden shade of red that had colonized his milky cheeks and ears.

"I- She doesn't know what she's talking about- you don't know what you're talking about, Mi-"

"What? Yes I do! I saw a picture when you gave it to me to play a game. They look the same." Miyeon spoke confidently, lips pursing sassily as she dragged her father's hand down from her face, and head whipping to the side to stare at Seungmin just as deeply as before. "Your friend just looks a little bigger and prettier, but it looks like the same person, daddy."

"Miyeon, be quiet and go back to play, please." Minho whispered pointedly into the child's ear, scoffing when she wiggled from his hold to run back to the slides, and sighing when an audible, teasing gag sounded from the younger at his side. "Can we just pretend that this never happened, please?"

"No, we can't, because I want to know what the hell you are or were doing with my picture." Seungmin questioned sternly, scoff of disbelief escaping his throat, and head shaking from side to side as his mind fought to comprehend the unexpected yet somewhat needed sellout of the innocent child.

"I-"

"No, because I'm genuinely disgusted right now, Minho. Like, I feel like throwing up. Literally. Because this is really unbelievable. You yourself said that you cheated on your wife even after me, yet you still have my picture on your phone as if I'm somebody to you." Seungmin sighed after speaking, head once again tilting sideways in hope for the longed-for sight of his lover and friend, which would undoubtedly give a more polite excuse for him cutting that conversation short.

And finally, he saw them; a smiling Jeongin and a contented Hyunjin, of course blushing as soon as he locked eyes with his fiancé after crossing the street. "Anyways, Minho, I'm not even bothering at this point. I have to go."

"Seungmin, just- I'm sorry-"

"Hey, baby." Hyunjin interrupted deliberately, upper body leaning down to place a wet kiss onto his fiance's lips, causing him to chuckle when Seungmin audibly squeaked at the cold sensation due to the ice-cream that he was eating. Humming to emphasize their intimacy, and glancing over at an uncomfortable Minho before pulling away, Hyunjin placed an uncouched cup of the cold, vanilla-flavored treat into his partner's hand, smirking at the way the eldest, clearly unwelcome male simply sighed before standing and returning to another bench just few steps away. "He didn't make you uncomfortable, right?"

"Apart from the part where his little girl said that he had a picture of me on his phone? No." Seungmin chuckled as he stood up, eyes rolling back at the sweet, craved taste of the cream on his tongue and, crimson cheeks darkening when Hyunjin leaned down, right there in the open, to plant a light peck on his clothed tummy. "Hyunjin ... we're in public."

"And so? Who says I can't kiss my son in public?" Hyunjin snickered teasingly, one hand snaking around the younger's waist and, head tilting back to squint at a still standing Jeongin as they strolled. "Speed up, Innie. you can text Eunbi when we get to the car."

"But you both have me third-wheeling, and she wanted to know what dress she should wear for a party tonight..." Jeongin whined, childish pout resting on his lips as he caught up to the couple's side, and one hand sliding his phone into his back pocket before joining the other at his ice-cream cup. "I miss her, you know. I just can't wait for next holiday when we'll be spending it together."

"Innie you literally came back from uni yesterday, and you're acting as if you two have been doing long distance since the beginning." Hyunjin teased as they crossed the street, arm leaving Seungmin's waist to feed himself a spoon of his chocolate ice-cream, and chuckle leaving his lips when a flustered, blushing Jeongin landed a playful punch to the back of his shoulder. "What was that for?"

"Stop acting as if you weren't so attached to Seungmin when you first met."

"He still is." Seungmin butted in, failing in an attempt to keep a solemn face, and blushing even harder when Hyunjin's soft lips found and kissed his right cheek. "See?"

"Great, now I miss her more."

-

⇒ Zone Park- District 9
1:45pm

The outside air was fresh, and out of the very few times that they'd spend together out in the open, that Saturday felt different. The love between their little family felt stronger, and even the children themselves seemed giddier. And as Noah and Niah ran circles around the red and white striped blanket at which their parents laid down on, Chan couldn't help but adore his boyfriend's freckles as the sun, though dimmed by the shade of the tree branches hovering above them, shone and highlighted the goldish spots littering his skin so beautifully.

"Felix." He whisper-called, body laying on one side comfortably, and soft, childish giggle leaving his lips when, with a querying look resting on his face, the blonde lifted his shades by the handle, slowly as if his orange-haired boyfriend's call seemed to have no essence on the surface. "I love you."

"Chan, I was falling asleep, and you disturbed me to say something that I already know?" Felix blushed profusely with his question, head turning to the opposite side in attempt to hide the larger fraction of his cheeks' attempt at resembling a tomato from his lover.

Sighing, he sat up, body leaning forward, closer to their second blanket where all the food and drinks were spread, to grab some strawberries from their basket to fill his cheeks, rather than just lay there and melt under Chan's loving yet slightly intimidating gaze. "Please stop staring at me."

"But you're so pretty. Who else do you want me to stare at?" Chan pouted with his words, eyes widening to mimic the bright ones of a puppy, yet gazing intensely at his children, who, with the knowledge of their father's plan, quickly found his sides; a freckled, Noah on the left, and an equally decorated Niah on the right. "We want attention."

"We?" Felix looked back, a soft smile spreading up his lips at the sight of three, adorably childish expressions on his loved one's faces, and one hand reaching to remove the black shades from his eyes, and instead place said accessory at the collar of his shirt, careful enough not to damage it. "Why do you always drag them into your messes?"

"I didn't. We all just love you a lot." Chan giggled nervously, smile growing larger when Felix rotated to face them more comfortably - prepped on his knees as he opened up a bottle of apple juice from the cooler - and grinning even wider, with narrowed eyes to ease his anxiety, when his first born, Niah, crawled forward until her little body sat directly in front of her birth giver.

"Daddy," she started softly, twisting her upper body nervously and, adorably scrunching her face at the way Felix looked so confused at the trio's odd gestures. With another swing of her ponytail, held up so neatly by a yellow ribbon to match the sunflower pattern of her outfit, she continued; high-pitched tone innocently mollifying, and young mind sort of struggling to reiterate the line that Chan had pounded into her head, under the pressure of the moment. "Papa loves you very much."

Taking a small sip of the cool drink, Felix hummed a soft, "Mhm," tired knees shifting to sit him on his behind, and perplexed gaze observing each member of his family's actions, causing him to raise both brows at the sight of a giggling Noah crawling up to his sister's side.

"Papa loves you and wants to be with you forever and ever and ever..."

"Forever and ever." Noah started his piece, hands holding onto something unknown to Felix behind his back and, chubby cheeks boasting his freckles as they lifted so happily with his grin. "Have you- wait... what was it again, Niah? I- I don't remember."

And at that, Chan could only face-palm in his post at the pack of them both, head shaking with his motion and, hand dragging down from his face slowly and with sheer suspense as each twin only scratched their head, trying to remember the main question that had been rehearsed.

But then Niah spoke up, her bright, contagious smile returning, and head nodding in a reassuring manner at her brother before refocussing completely on Felix. "Have you ever thought about getting married to Papa?"

"W-what?"

"Papa wants to marry you, daddy," Noah added swiftly, chubby hands drawing out a small, velvet box from his back, but slight pout forming on both his and Niah's lips at the sight of an already crying Felix.

Their innocent minds couldn't yet grasp the utmost importance of that moment but, Chan could, granting him the perfect opportunity to slide behind them both and lower his head in between their slightly tilted ones.

"Will you marry me, Felix?" He asked with a thick gulp, one hand collecting the closed box from his son's hand to open it, whilst the other, equally quivery and sweaty as the left one that it had reached for, held on to Felix's to slide on the shiny, expensive band with so much caution and love, as if that body part was the most fragile that he had ever come across. "Please say yes... The ring is already on and, we could have our wedding in Australia?"

"Yes." Felix sobbed harder, arm retracting from Chan's hold to pull the older in for a deep kiss, while the other found and covered the eyes of his daughter- Chan's lack of hesitation to shield the wide ones of their son making his already large smile grow wider against his fiancé's lips. "I'll marry you, Channie. Besides, it took you long enough."

"Oh come on..." Chan brushed his nose against the younger's before finding his lips one more time, the twins' near presence being their only motivation to pull away. "I wanted the kids to be part of it, so I waited for them to get a little older before doing it."

"Well, it was worth it."

"I love you."

"I love you too..."

Shrugging, both of the children stood up, short legs once again carrying their bodies around a reasonable distance from their parents' blankets and, carefree minds no longer focussed on the new union of the adults, thus giving the latter the perfect opportunity for another, even deeper hold of each other's soft, moist, favored lips.

"I love you so, so much, Bang Chan."

"And I love you even more, Lee Felix."

┈ ┈ ┈ ⋞ 〈 🎤 〉 ⋟ ┈ ┈ ┈

P A R A M O U R
Completed
© mistopher | 2021