Chapter Text
"That's gonna be one small iced sweet tea, one large milk tea full sweetness and one warm jasmine tea without sugar. Is that correct, sir?"
"Correct!" Xiao Jun exclaims as he tippy toes, very much eager to listen and reply to the tea shop vendor by the park.
Several giggles meet the child's enthusiasm, earning him loving glances from both his fathers and even a free treat from the vendor. "Take this, young lad. A cookie for our best customer of the day."
"Wow!" With sparkling eyes that mirror Junhui's, Xiao Jun begins to reach upwards to take the cookie from the cashier. However, he suddenly pauses to glance at his parents for approval first. "May I, Papa? Dada?"
"Go ahead, sweetie." Junhui gives the permission, even lifting their son up so he can reach for the cookie with ease.
Minghao's hands hold Xiao Jun's back for support, eyebrows furrowing as he starts calculating their son's sugar intake of the day. He doesn't want to be that parent but tooth decay is rampant in school age children and he doesn't want Xiao Jun to experience the excruciating pain of a rotting tooth. "Don't forget to say 'thank you', love."
"Many thanks, good sir!" Xiao Jun surprisingly says, earning subtle gasps from the adults around him. The rate of him catching up on formal language is quite impressive. Even his parents exchange glances as they both rack their brains to remember what shows they watched with Xiao Jun that made him catch on to such a proper sentence. The cashier for sure did not mind, amused by the antics of this witty youngster. However, the next words begin to stir the pot as soon as they escape Xiao Jun's lips. "Iz my birthday today so Dada and Papa bring me to the park!"
"That is so sweet of them." The server genuinely responds as he gives Junhui their orders, a kind smile evident on his face. "The two of you are raising him well."
"Thank you." Minghao replies, his voice softer than usual. The change was so subtle that Junhui was the only one who turned to look at Minghao, the crack in his voice so miniscule yet it resonated towards Junhui’s auditory field, catching his attention.
"You okay, love?"
"Just... a little worried." Minghao replies as he leads his family towards a vacant space on the park's massive grassfield, carrying the picnic basket with him while Junhui follows with Xiao Jun happily slurping from the iced sweet tea between his tiny hands.
With quick apprehensive glances, Minghao regards the people surrounding them. Xiao Jun's birthday is in late August, the remnants of the summer days blessing them with constant temperate weather to plan and hold a picnic within a week's planning. The sun isn't too hot, to Minghao's relief, but the heat that he's more worried about are the gazes that they might receive一that Xiao Jun might receive一for going out in public with two fathers crowding over him.
"Papa." Minghao's thoughts are yanked out of him as Xiao Jun vigorously shakes the hem of his coat, admittedly quite too much for this weather but no such thing exists in his fashion vocabulary. With the big bright eyes that his parents love to stare at, Xiao Jun continues, "I wanna help Papa with the blanket."
"Of course, sweetheart." Minghao nods as he crouches down, unfolding the crocheted blanket he painstakingly made by himself to make this day extra personalized and sentimental. Junhui assured him hundreds of times that they can just order one online since Minghao's crocheting business is booming and pre-orders are filled week after week yet he insisted on still finishing the customized cloth by himself.
"Ge, you know I would drop literally anything and everything for you and Xiao Jun."
"Trust me, love, I know. Xiao Jun knows. But we love you as much as you love us and we don't want you to do that. No selfish love in this household, remember?"
"I do." Minghao unconsciously mutters out loud, now laying out their fruit and sandwich platters at the center of the blanket. Aesthetically, of course.
"Hm? What was that, love?" Junhui crowds Minghao, wide feline eyes blinking adorably as he regards his husband. The older then clears his throat, miming in such a way that he seems to be fixing his tie before taking Minghao's left hand and kissing their wedding band that Junhui and Xiao Jun, once again, designed together. "Are you marrying me again?"
"Dada and Papa wedding again!" Xiao Jun excitedly sprints around the couple, attracting the attention of the other picnic goers.
Panic stricken by the sudden attention that they’re receiving, Minghao's face and neck flush with shame, hiding behind Junhui whose shoulders are shaking while laughing at their son. Minghao is irrevocably horrified. Though their type of family isn't as rare as it used to, acceptance is still not synonymous with tolerance. At home, they can always monitor and guide Xiao Jun regarding people's reaction about their complicated situation一two fathers and their adopted son. But out here in public, anything can happen. Disaster can visit their picnic like an uninvited guest and proceed to destroy Xiao Jun's core memory of his sixth birthday forever.
"Xiao Jun." The name of their son escapes Minghao's lips as he finally snaps out of the hurricane that is his thoughts, reality dragging him back with a whiplash as he watches Xiao Jun approach a stranger. Minghao’s body begins to involuntarily leave the blanket, prevented only by the firm hold that Junhui applies on his wrist.
"Let him first, love." The older decides, sternness evident in his voice. His formerly calm feline eyes turn sharp and predatory as he observes a middle aged lady reaching out of a wooden basket to give a small bouquet of irises to Xiao Jun. Several seconds of this exchange honestly feel like hours to the worried parents, the concern clouding their vision in such a way that they don’t even notice that the lady is pointing towards the couple’s direction. Like clockwork, Xiao Jun readily looks for them with his expectant eyes, as if asking for permission without the use of words. Junhui nods curtly and Xiao Jun smiles wide upon the go signal, thanking the lady with a bow before turning around and running towards them.
"Careful, baby!" Minghao yells as he opens his arms to welcome Xiao Jun back from his little adventure, finally unhiding himself from Junhui's wide back. Meanwhile, Junhui’s eyes are still on the lady, observing her for the uncalled for floral generosity. It isn't long before another woman joins the stranger on their picnic blanket, sharing a quick yet deep kiss on the lips before hugging each other. "Oh. "
"Junhui, babe." Minghao calls for him, intertwining their fingers as soon as Xiao Jun collapses on Minghao's arms. "Did I pass my anxiety to you?"
"A bit." Junhui honestly answers but he smiles soon after, crawling towards his family as the worry evaporates from his body.
"Papa, come closer. Please." Xiao Jun quickly requests as he fumbles with the bouquet, obtaining one of the irises and carefully tucking it behind Minghao's elven ears. "Papa so pretty." He adds, kissing Minghao on the cheek.
"Very much so." Junhui agrees as he stares wide eyed at Minghao like a dumbfounded schoolboy smitten with love, blushing as the breeze masterfully blows his husband's hair and making him look like a fairy straight out of the storybooks一enchanting and out of this world.
"Babe, stop it!" Minghao flusters all over again, now using Xiao Jun's squirming body to hide his face from his silly looking husband.
Xiao Jun, happily chuckling as he observes his parents get timidly in love in each other's presence, hugs both of them. The child doesn't seem to mind even if the other picnic goers are beginning to look at their unique yet irrevocably beautiful family.
"Papa, Dada look! They're smiling at us!" Xiao Jun shakes his fathers, motioning them to gaze at the direction of the lady with the bouquet. One glance is all it takes for both Junhui and Minghao to see the other couple wave and give them a toast with their bottled beverages, as if sending their well wishes from a distance.
Junhui waves back at them as he pulls the still blushing Minghao closer, their cheeks pressing together as Xiao Jun forces himself in between them, eager to wave back to the other couple as well.
"Come on, let's take out Xiao Jun's cake now." Minghao encourages as he also nods at the kind women, now diverting his attention to their son.
"Cake! Cake! Cake!" Xiao Jun cheers as he scatters the irises, making a mess as he makes impromptu confetti out of the flowers, showering the couple with petals from head to toe.
"Baby, please don't play with your food." Minghao reminds with a pointed finger, tapping the space beside him to reprimand Xiao Jun. "Sit here, please."
"Yes, Papa." Their son obeys, flopping rather clumsily like how Junhui does at home. Minghao can only smile as his little family exchange glances before putting icing on each other's noses, only being able to shake his head in bemusement.
"Are you still worried, love?" Junhui whispers in Minghao's ear as he puts the number "6" candle in the middle of the lemon meringue cake, squeezing Minghao's hand with his free one.
"Not so much anymore." Minghao admits out loud, offering Junhui a reassuring smile before stealing a kiss on the older's lips. "I realized something just now."
"That I'm so handsome?" Junhui teases, stealing back another kiss with a smirk.
"When did I not realize that?" Minghao jokingly rolls his eyes though he caresses Junhui's nape lazily. With Xiao Jun now busy making a flower necklace with the irises, they can at least share a little semblance of intimacy before proceeding with their celebration.
"That I can face the world proudly as long as the two of you are by my side."