"ICE HAIR!!!" Minjun yelled excitedly as he bounced up and down beside his papa, watching the hair dye intently.

"That's right Minjunie, uncle smiles wanted him to have ice hair, so it's a surprise for him." Jaemin smiled as Donghyuck explained the situation to the kid who turned to look at Jaemin with a quizzical look.

"But shouldn't your hair color be your choice?" He asked, walking over and crawling onto the chair beside Jaemin, grabbing both of the olders cheeks and squishing them with his tiny hands. "Don't let uncle smiles tell you who to be! You're your own person! You are a strong dependent woman!" He said with a sure nod and Donghyuck let out a loud laugh at that, Renjun walking over and picking up Minjun carefully to sit with him in his lap.

"Minjun, I think you meant independent." Renjun said. Minjun just looked at Donghyuck again with wide eyes.

"I love how that's the part of that sentence that you corrected." Jaemin said blankly, and Renjun smiled smugly, sticking his tongue out at him.

"Okay Minjun, let's go to the beach to see what uncle smiles is up to." Renjun suggested. "We don't wanna be in papa's way while he takes care of the ice hair." Donghyuck hummed as he walked over to give Minjun a kiss on the cheek and Renjun a light peck on the lips.

"But remember, the ice hair is a surprise, so don't say anything about it to Nono." Minjun hummed a small 'mhm!' From where he sat perched in Renjun's arms as the older began to head out the door to bring the boy to the beach, and Donghyuck sighed happily as he watched them go.

"You make me jealous." Jaemin admitted as the older turned around, a smile remaining on his face as he walked back over with the black rubber gloves on to grab the dye.

"Well, having a kid isn't all beautiful charming moments, it's stressful too," Donghyuck warned as he got ready to dye Jaemin's hair the fierce blue he had requested. "And from the looks of things, it'll be like taking care of two kids for you!" The older mentioned with a warm smile, meeting Jaemin's gaze in the bathroom mirror.

"I'm still excited, and nothing you'll say can scare me." Donghyuck hummed as he began to work the color into his hair.

"I don't doubt it."

🍓

"What are you building now?"

"I'm digging a big pit! Do you wanna help me?" Jeno asked as he looked up at Xiaojun who had walked over hand in hand with Minjun, the smaller of the two staring down at the sad beginnings of Jeno's 'big pit' in the sand.

"Well, why d'ya wanna do that?" The eldest asked, sitting down crisscross as Jeno continued to scrape away at the ground with the small shovel he had borrowed from Taeyong. Jeno shrugged.

"I dunno, sounded fun." Jeno answered, pausing to look up with a blink at the older boy who was watching him in confusion. "What?" Xiaojun giggled and stood up.

"Nothin, I'll go get more shovels." he said before making his way over to Taeyong. Minjun watched him go for a moment before looking back down at the small hole in the sand.

"Is it for your enemies?" He asked. Jeno gave a confused sound and tilted his head.

"The pit?"

"Mhm. Is it for catching all the bad guys, like the big scary dragon that you and uncle Nana fought?" Jeno paused at that, staring into the beginnings of his pit. He became more aware of his own breath suddenly, thinking about that big scary dragon again. But, he took a moment, closed his eyes, and steadied his breathing.

No, this pit wasn't for catching bad guys, or for hunting big scary dragons, this pit was just for fun. The dragons and the bad guys could come all they wanted, the pit wouldn't stop them and Jeno knew that, but he would always have his knight in shining armor who would do everything in his power to hunt the dragons and slay the bad guys no matter how scary they were. He smiled and shook his head at the boy.

"No, cuz I don't think that I'll need to fight any more dragons."

🍓

"Jeno, wake up."

Jeno opened his eyes slowly, groggily blinking up at the person hovering over him.

"Hmm? The sun isn't even out yet Nana..." He whined, turning over and curling up into a ball as he hugged his stuffed bunny Doyoung. Now that he thought about it, he wondered if he had known Doyoung prior to everything and that's why he named the bunny that, but the question would have to wait because his sleepy brain didn't want to deal with that.

"I know baby, but you'll like this I promise. Just get up and get dressed, okay?" Jaemin soothed gently as he rubbed the olders arm. Jeno hummed and nodded, slowly willing himself to sit up. He stared at his bed with bleary eyes and Jaemin chuckled, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek before standing up. "I'll be out on the couch, we'll leave when you're ready, but try to be fast alright?" Jeno nodded and rubbed his eyes at Jaemin's words, letting out a big yawn and stretching a bit before setting his mind to getting ready for whatever Jaemin had planned.

He put on a cozy blue striped sweater and some dark jeans to match, fluffing his hair a bit before he walked blearily out into the living room. Jaemin was sat on the couch just as he had promised and he stood up when he saw the older, standing up and going to his side.

"Ready?" He asked, handing a pop tart to Jeno who smiled at it gratefully, not sparing the younger a glance as he nodded. "Alright, let's go."

They walked outside and to one of the rental cars that Chenle had gotten them at some point, climbing into the passenger and driver's seats respectfully before Jaemin put in the keys and turned them, clicking on the radio to let the soft sounds float through the car.

"It's just us this morning, is that alright?" Jeno nodded happily at the youngers words, a soft eye smile crinkling onto his face as he did. Jaemin pulled out of the little gravel parking spot carefully before driving out onto the road, beginning the journey to wherever he was determined to go.

Jeno watched the scenery pass by with wide eyes, still so full of wonder even despite the fact that they were already nearing the end of their trip and had been in Hawaii for almost two weeks.

"How have you been enjoying the vacation so far baby?" Jaemin asked sweetly as they drove. Jeno perked up happily.

"So fun!" Jeno exclaimed. "The beach is so pretty and the ocean is nice and hyungs have been taking good care of me." Jeno explained with a gentle smile, kicking his feet a bit. Jaemin chuckled softly and reached over a hand to rest on the olders thigh.

"That's great sweetie." Jaemin hummed, making a note to try and talk big Jeno back out to him while they hiked. Speaking of which... "Here we are," Jaemin said with a grin as he parked the car on the side of the road.

A small mountain of sorts sat to their left, a path winding up the side that was big enough for a car, yet the road was closed off for now, remaining strictly for pedestrian use as they fixed up part of the pavement he guessed.

"Hike?" Jeno asked as he hopped out of the car excitedly. Jaemin hummed and walked over, taking the olders hand.

"That's right angel. We're gonna hike up there and watch the sunrise together." Jaemin explained as they ducked under the little bar meant to block cars from passing. They began to walk up the mountain, hand in hand Jaemin keeping a close eye on Jeno's reaction to everything, and the older looking around in awe at the scenery.

(Idk what tf to call this mini mountain cuz its bigger than a hill and rockier than a hill but its not too tall it was just high above the ocean and rlly pretty maaaaan)

The sun was already beginning to try making its daily climb up over the horizon line, but only slightly, the start of the golden rays casting through the couple of puffy clouds that hung in the sky. It painted the sky a gentle lilac that faded into pink the closer it crept to the ocean, and it left the both of them to hold their breaths, excited to watch it rise with them as they walked.

"This really has been the greatest vacation ever Jaem." Jeno spoke up finally as they began to get closer to the top, his voice filled with mature sincerity. The younger grinned and gave Jeno's hand a light squeeze.

"I'm glad you're having fun." It was true, he was over the moon that Jeno was like this- that he was happy. When you spend so long chasing and reaching for something that keeps fading away from your grasp like sand in an hourglass, finally catching it is something worth remembering and cherishing forever. That's what this felt like- after all this time of watching time slip away into a muddled mess of sadness, fear, and anguish, finally getting to see the world like this again, finally getting to see that smile again.

It was what made Jaemin plan all of this.

It was what made Jaemin wake them up at the earliest breath of dawn.

It was what made Jaemin buy the ring that he fidgeted with in his pocket nervously as they finally made it to the top of the mountain.

There were a couple of other people up there, but not many. Just the occasional couple or two who had come up to watch the sun's morning ritual ripple its tales across the ocean. The star was finally at its most impressive point of its rising, the burning ball of flames resting itself in the waters of the ocean and casting its golden glow out onto the land. The sky was bursting with beautiful colors- pinks and blues, purples and magentas, reds and oranges, all swimming together in stunning gradients that painted the canvas of sky that they were kept to. He felt Jeno hold his hand tighter, heard a soft gasp from his side, watched the way the olders eyes sparkled at the sight.

"Jeno," Jaemin finally spoke up, but that didn't mean he felt confident. His legs were shaky, and his hand trembled in his pocket, and his heart was beating at a hundred miles a minute, but he wanted to do this. He wanted to take the next step, take the trusting dive into something much more promising than what they held and cherished now. They were going to be parents soon, they were going to watch their child grow up together, and Jaemin wanted to do it with one extra promise in mind. One extra reassurance of his commitment for eternity.

Jeno looked at him now with growing anticipation, his eyes catching the light of the morning sun and sparkling with a thousand unspoken wishes. Jaemin wanted to make them all come true someday. He turned so that they were facing each other completely, taking both of Jeno's hands now and swiping his thumb back and forth across the soft skin of the others hand nervously. He swallowed down the lump of nervousness and continued.

"We've known each other for longer than I've known anyone ever, we've been together through thick and thin, we've seen each other at the lowest we could be, and we've held each other through it all. But, I don't want to hold you just as my boyfriend anymore."

"I wanna take you out on picnics and get a nice little cafe somewhere that we'll run together, I wanna keep taking care of you and learning everything about you until I can recite every beautiful detail that you hold by heart, I wanna stand in front of our friends and family and hold your hands and tell you that I'm not going anywhere ever, and I want something to seal that promise."

"That's why I brought you up here, and that's why I have a question that I need to ask you." Jaemin had shut his eyes throughout his rant, too nervous up until now to face Jeno's expression. But now, as he reached into his pocket, and opened his eyes to scan over the older's face, he was met with excited anticipation, and it pushed him to finish what he had to say.

"Lee Jeno, will you give me the honor of being your husband."

For a thousand years and then some, Lee Jeno had spent his days running and hiding, cowering from the big scary dragon that threatened to take him from everything he cherished, but for a thousand years and then some, he had Na Jaemin by his side through it all. Through every moment of self-doubt, through every moment of fear, through every moment of wondering if the day would ever come again that they could walk around their own home and feel safe, Na Jaemin had stood by his side and held his hand and wiped his tears and told him that everything was going to be okay. That the storm would pass, and the dragon would be slain, and they could finally be happy again. Na Jaemin stayed to hold him in his arms and promise that he wouldn't leave no matter what happened, and that no matter how they would go down, they would go down together.

For a thousand years and then some, Lee Jeno would wake up every morning to see his night in shining armor smiling and running his hands through his hair with a smiling and raspy 'good morning'. For a thousand years and then some, Lee Jeno would stay by Na Jaemin's side through it all. For a thousand years and then some, they would break, and they would falter, but they would pick each other up, put each other back together piece by fucking piece, and still stand tall and proud as a testament to their strength.

For a thousand years and then some, Lee Jeno would be known as Na Jeno. Or maybe Na Jaemin would be Lee Jaemin? That was something they could work out later, but all of this was because of the one word that Jeno managed to get out between the sobs he was letting out in Jaemin's arms as the sun rose like the tides and the birds welcomed the next part of their lives with a cheerful song.

"Yes, Na Jaemin. A thousand times and then some, yes."

"And by the way, I like your hair. The blue suits you."

- end -

I will write the epilogue when my cat gets off my fucking arm-