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When he first started building this company from the ground, he always knew that there would be more tiring days than good ones. It's getting better now, because he no longer has to manage the staff, and he rarely have to fire people. These days, he spends more time in endless, unnecessary meetings, and forcing himself to stay awake in the evening, the only time he can do real work.
Some days, he doesn't get home until past 10, and on good days, he can make it in time for dinner. Which is why he finds that dinner time is his favorite time of the day.
And sometimes, during the long ride to home, he thinks about his life, his kids and his husband. He still wonders if his life would turn out as great if he has chosen different paths, a different spouse. He also wonders if he'd be happier as a normal person, with an ordinary job, with another set of family. He always somehow ends up thinking ' It's not the same without them’ , and maybe, that's why it's easy for him to choose his family over anything else.
It's also why he is adamant to have less hours in the office. He hires little secretaries, or slutaries according to Jongdae, as the people who'll go to these meetings instead of himself. They’ll report back to him, and Yixing only have to mind the important issues. Kyungsoo, his SVP of Operations, takes great offense to Jongdae’s nickname of Yixing's secretaries. He can't actually deny it though, that he goes to meetings on Yixing's behalf, and he is, in some form, Yixing’s bitch. His compensation is that he's allowed to inflict terror on the people below him, and that he has his own personal secretary. Luckily, Sehun seems immune to Kyungsoo's harsh words, always replying in sarcasm. The elder has a hard time making Sehun's life a living hell.
This week, it has been a particularly rough one for everyone. The label is trying to push a group comeback followed by a new artist debut, Taeyeong. Unfortunately, the title track of Taeyeong has been leaked recently, and it's causing commotions amongst both teams. The group’s team has already started teasing the comeback, and postponing it would cause fans to get frustrated. Meanwhile, Taeyeong’s team argues that their artist will lose momentum if they don't rush release the single.
Yixing doesn't know why he's suddenly in between this fight. It should have been handled by Kyungsoo, or Taekwoon, his SVP of Marketing. Instead, he's being guided by one of his secretaries into the meeting room, and he can immediately see the expressions of frustrated people. Before he can greet anyone, both teams are already mouthing off their arguments. He already feels a headache coming as he sighs heavily and sits down.
Two hours later, and they finally compromise on a few things. Yixing suddenly notices that it's approaching dinner time, and he stands up, stretching his body, before getting everyone's attention.
A few of them tries to argue that chaos will happen once he leaves, but Yixing has learned early on that he can't always be nice.
“You’re all functioning adults who I'm sure can resolve your problems without asking me to hold your hand. Or am I wrong?” He asks them. “Should I assign someone else to do your job?”
Everyone goes quiet, and even the person who usually dared to reply is afraid of his own position. Right at that moment, Kyungsoo enters quietly, only to look surprised at everyone else's solemn mood. He thought it'd be more alive in here, with random arguing and stressful expression.
“Um,” he utters softly, gaining everyone’s attention.
“Kyungsoo,” Yixing greets him with a teasing tone. “ Glad you can finally join us.”
He stands up and walks towards Kyungsoo with a tired smile. He pats the younger's shoulder, before he faces everyone once again.
“Dabin, send out the notification tonight. I expect better planning from everyone , “ he glares at them. “Kyungsoo will be my eyes and ears during this weekend,” he concludes the meeting.
He doesn't give them a chance to reply as he leaves in a hurry. He's pretty sure that Kyungsoo will put them into shape, and he won't have to deal with these kind of issues in the future.
Luckily, Yixing doesn't have to tell his driver to move the car as Namjoon is used to the elder's routine. He barely has time to say goodbye to people, let alone pack up his stuff. One of the unlucky interns will do that for him, and drop it into his house. He tries not to use his position as a means of power so often.
By the time he arrives in the lobby, he finds himself shocked that an intern is already waiting for him, with his bag and his favorite Starbucks drink.
He raises an eyebrow at the intern's hyper greeting, followed by a perfect bowing, something that seems rare these days. He leans forward to grab his bag, but the intern seems intent on putting it in the car by himself. So he shrugs and lets Namjoon open the trunk for the younger.
“What's your name?” Yixing asks the intern once he's done with the bag. He looks at the younger with a curious stare.
“Ten, seonbaenim,” he replies politely. Then, he realizes that he's still holding the drink that was meant for the CEO. He leans forward to give it to Yixing, while bending his back. “This is for you.”
Yixing grins at him before accepting it. He takes a sip, to show his gratitude.
“You must be new then,” the elder continues to say. “Well, keep up the good work.”
Ten blushes cutely and nods his head shyly.
Yixing chuckles at his reaction before stepping closer to ruffle the top of his hair.
He takes a step back and turns around, to head to the car. Namjoon has the car door opened already, and he's been waiting for Yixing to enter.
The elder enters the car slowly, and he notes that Ten is still waiting nearby as he looks out the window. He figures the kid will wait until he leaves. So he waves at him before telling his driver to drive.
He closes his eyes during the half an hour drive, and smiles as he thinks about seeing his family again.
***
Jongdae yelps when he accidentally steps on another fucking Lego. He swears he'll throw them out the moment the kids are asleep. As he consoles his hurt foot, Daeul runs up to him, looking upset over something.
“Papa, I want to share my cookies,” he tugs on Jongdae's pants. “I want to share them with everyone.”
Jongdae sighs internally, knowing that Baekhyun must have been teasing his youngest son again. Daeul, despite inheriting Jongdae's features, is a sensitive kid. He always get a little offended if someone takes his stuff or pretends to steal it away.
“Papa,” Daeul calls out again. “I want to share my cookies.”
“No, baby, those cookies are for you,” Jongdae sighs before lifting him up. He can see Daeul’s wide eyes, filled with sadness.
“I don't want them anymore. They can have it. Uncle Baekhyun wants it,” Daeul says with certainty.
“But Dada bought it only for you, so uncle Baekhyun can't have them. It belongs to you,” Jongdae tries to reason with the three years old. He can't remember when his life wasn't about taking care of toddlers or negotiating them into being good boys.
Daeul looks confused at his explanation, and Jongdae would coo on how adorable the toddler is, if he didn't feel bad for his son.
“Uncle Baekhyun likes to joke with you. He's pretending that it belongs to him.”
“Why?”
“Because he's not being nice to you.”
“Why?”
“He's just teasing you, baby,” Jongdae says with a sigh. “Why don't we get a snack? Do you want blueberries? Or mangoes?”
He carries the toddler into the kitchen.
“I want a smoothie with just bananas,” Daeul tells him in an adamant tone.
“ Only bananas?”
“Yes, and it's only for me.”
Jongdae raises an eyebrow in amusement.
“But your Dada and I want some too. What if hyung wants some too?”
“No,” the younger whines, perfectly resembling his father's whining. “I don't want to share my smoothie. It's all mine.”
“Okay,” Jongdae says exasperatedly before letting his boy down to the floor. “How do you say it nicely?”
Daeul opens his mouth as if he was confused on what his Papa meant, but then he realizes on what he needs to say.
“Can I have a smoothie with just bananas please?” he tells him. “And it's only for me, okay?”
Jongdae chuckles before nodding. He squats down as he reaches for the freezer, but Daeul seems intent on being clingy.
“I need my arms, baby,” his father tries to reason. “See, I have to grab your bananas from the freezer.”
He opens the freezer part of the fridge and takes out the frozen bananas. He slowly stands up, not letting Daeul manipulate his way into being hold again. He opens the fridge part, and takes out the yogurt and milk. Then he grabs the honey in the counter.
He moves everything near the blender before proceeding to make it. He only uses half of the usual recipe, and when it's time to blend everything, he lets the toddler press the button while they watch a few feet away.
Once it's done, he grabs one of the plastic cups meant for kids and pour a whole cup.
A happy, and smiling Daeul takes it before he realizes that something is missing.
“Papa, I need a straw.”
“How do you ask nicely?”
“Please,” he says impatiently, before trying again. “Can I have a straw please?”
“Here,” Jongdae gives him a straw that can be bent on the head.
Daeul grins before taking a sip, and he slowly waddles towards his big boy table, that is meant for little kids. He puts the cup down before he wiggles his way into the chair. As he sips in peace, Jongdae can't help but smile at his son’s enthusiasm.
Of course, the silence doesn't last long when they have Baekhyun with them.
Baekhyun gasps at seeing Daeul’s smoothie before sauntering to the boy to see if he can try. He slowly takes the cup once the toddler puts it on the table, and he pretends to take a sip of it. The little toddler looks shocked at the action.
“Is it yours now?” Daeul asks him in a sad tone.
“It’s mine now,” Baekhyun teases.
The toddler stares at him with wide eyes before running away from the table.
“Papa!” Daeul calls out to Jongdae, once again. “I don't want my smoothie anymore. It's uncle Baekhyun’s now.”
Jongdae groans loudly before picking up his upset son. He stomps to the dining room, and glares at the mischievous smirk the elder has on his lips.
“Baekhyun! You little shit, stop teasing him!”
“I'm just helping him finish it,” the elder says with fake innocence, before pretending to sip on it again.
It riles up Daeul, who keeps saying that the smoothie isn't his anymore.
Jongdae thinks he should change the locks and find a new best friend.
***
The younger drops himself into the comfortable bed once Daeul is no longer emotional over Baekhyun's taunts. The toddler is now distracted by his toy cars and has somewhat forgiven uncle Baekhyun as he hears them play together.
He closes his eyes and hopes for five minutes rest, or even 30 minutes if he's hopeful. He tries to get his mind to clear from random worries, and forces his brain to shut down for once. He's almost succeeding it until he hears a door being slammed closed, and he has to withhold the groan that's threatening to come out from his throat.
His oldest son is back from piano practice, which means the house will be more noisy. Cue Daeul and his loud screams as Jongdae grimaces from the sound.
“Hyung!” The toddler screams before running to tackle against Anson.
Luckily, Anson is their quietest child compares to Daeul, and he doesn't mind playing with Daeul. Jongdae was once worried that there would be siblings’ rivalries, but Anson adores Daeul to heart.
“Let's play with the water guns!” Baekhyun tells them, looking as excited to have another playmate.
Oh God -- Jongdae thought in his head without even opening his eyes.
“Yay!” Daeul screams, waving his arms up and down excitedly.
“Can we play in the splash pad?” Anson asks eagerly.
“Yes!” Baekhyun tells them. “Let's change to our swim shorts and go!”
He shoots his fist into the air dramatically, and Daeul copies the motion as he's starting to copy other people's behaviours.
“I'm not going,” Minseok interrupts, despite looking amused by their excitement.
He's been Anson’s driver for the day, and was waiting patiently elsewhere while Anson has his lesson. He's feeling pretty exhausted now.
“Boo, uncle Minseok is old ,” Baekhyun retaliates. “Go back to sleep, grandpa .”
The kids seem to find it funny as they continue to tease their uncle. Even Daeul teases him for being weak, and that toddler used to be the sweetest thing ever.
In the end, he rolls his eyes before waving to the boys in a mocking way. He sighs and decides to see if he can steal some food from Jongdae's kitchen. He should be getting paid for today, but he supposes it's nice to spend time with his nephews.
***
Yixing can see his neighborhood by now, and he figures it’s another few minutes before he arrives home. He's been scrolling through pictures of his kids as he waits, and he's hit by nostalgia once he sees a baby picture of Anson. He smiles warmly at the memories of raising his first son.
Anson was technically an accident if Yixing had to be honest. Unlike Daeul, where they tried for a few times, Anson was created when they were struggling to survive. He remembered how much they used to argue because of the pregnancy, and how Jongdae thought he should abort it. That was the lowest point of their relationship, and Yixing was proud to say that they got through that despite the odds.
Sometimes Yixing feels Jongdae's guilt whenever the younger remembered that he wanted to 'kill’ Anson. The elder wouldn't let his husband think like that. After all, Jongdae is a terrific parent, even if , the kids drive them both crazy.
It's probably why they allow random friends or relatives to visit them. They both need a break at times.
His thoughts are interrupted once he feels the car slowing down, and he sees the familiar view of his house. Namjoon slowly stops the car in the driveway and Yixing smiles at him in gratitude before exiting. He doesn't grab his bag as Namjoon will do it for him later.
He walks up to the front door, and he's feeling excited to see the kids again. His heart starts to race as he opens the door, expecting his sons to tackle him as usual.
Instead, it’s eerily quiet and Yixing wonders if something has happened. He looks around cautiously after opening his shoes, and he steps into the living room, which has no one either. Then he checks the kitchen, and oh, there's Minseok.
“Oh, hyung,” Yixing greets him before bowing to him.
“What are you doing?” Minseok asks in amusement. He always find it funny when Yixing is behaving too formally with him. After all, they've been brothers in law for a few years now. “Come, sit.”
“Where is everyone?” Yixing asks him as he approaches the elder.
“Baekhyun took the boys, and Jongdae is probably napping,” the elder explains.
“Ah, thank you for coming over then, and helping Jongdae,” the younger says sincerely.
“We're family, don't be ridiculous,” the elder notes with pleasure.
Yixing smiles at him, a small dimple showing up. Minseok stares at it as the sight reminds him of Anson's dimple. Their resemblance is uncanny.
“Anyway, I should see if Jongdae is alright, and probably wake him up for dinner,” he explains before realizing something. “What is for dinner, by the way?”
“Um,” the elder says hesitantly. “I don't think we made anything yet.”
“Oh, then can you order something please? Something non spicy for the kids too. I'll be right back.”
Before Yixing can completely disappear from the kitchen, he can hear Minseok yelling ‘ Lock the door ’ as if the elder knows what he will do with Jongdae. Yixing blushes at the thought of Minseok being able to hear Jongdae whenever they're alone. He should probably gag Jongdae or cover his mouth since the younger loves to be loud.
He races upstairs, feeling energized by the idea of being able to spend time alone with Jongdae. He doesn't bother knocking on the bedroom door before he opens the door. He peeps in and sees no one in the bed, so he figures Jongdae must be in the bathroom.
He walks quietly to the bathroom, and he finally hears the constant stream of water, indicating that Jongdae is probably taking a shower. Luckily, they have both built a habit of not locking the bathroom, especially when one is using the shower.
Yixing enthusiastically strips off his clothes, and he doesn't bother putting them into the basket. He tiptoes as he walks towards the foggy shower door. He distinctly hears Jongdae humming a song, and he smiles at recognizing the song as one of his group's’ song.
He's not subtle when he finally opens the foggy door. Jongdae doesn't seem shocked at hearing the noise. If anything, he stares at Yixing with amusement as he continues to soap his body before pouting at him.
“You're letting the cold air in,” he whines at the elder.
Yixing grins as he takes one step in, and almost losing his balance from the slippery floor. Jongdae laughs at him as he grabs the elder's arms.
“My clumsy husband,” the younger teases as Yixing take a cautionary step towards him.
The elder looks unimpressed before deciding to place his hand on Jongdae's hip. His thumb caresses the soft skin as he stares at Jongdae's eyes. He guides the younger to lean against the wall, and shudders when he feels warm water streaming against his side. There's a coy smile on Jongdae's lips as the elder leans in, hypnotized by the red lips, and hesitantly places a soft kiss.
Jongdae is never a shy one as he kisses back and pulls the elder closer to his body. He lets out a groan as he feels Yixing’s hand sliding towards his ass, and there's the shameless squeeze that always follows.
The younger feels Yixing’s fingers slipping between the clefts, and he has to pull it away before Yixing gets carried away.
“Bed,” he urges, ignoring the elder’s grumbles.
“Too far,” Yixing argues, leaning down to trail his lips across Jongdae’s neck before finding a sensitive spot.
Unfortunately, Jongdae isn’t one to easily give in so he pushes Yixing away again. He manages to slip out of the elder’s grip and exits the shower.
There’s a thrill of excitement as he runs giggling to the bed area, and Yixing isn’t far behind. It’s been awhile since they’ve done a bit of playing. He feels that this night will go differently.
He purposely crawls once he climbs into the bed, giving a tantalizing view of his perfect ass. He doesn’t need to look behind him to check whether Yixing is paying attention.
“Fuck,” the elder says out loud, and Jongdae doesn't have wait long to feel Yixing’s hand on his ass again.
***
Unlike Jongdae's nature of sleeping through anything, Yixing is prone to waking up from the slightest movement. The elder stirs when his warm pillow is trying to get away from him, so he grumbles and holds it tighter. It causes the pillow to giggle, and the sound suspiciously resembles Jongdae's laugh. He thinks that his dream is weird, until he feels a pinch into his arm, and he's whimpering from the pain.
“Hyung~,” Jongdae practically shouts it to his ear. “Come on, I want to eat some pizza too.”
“No~,” he whines back, not letting Jongdae leave him.
The younger sighs, too lazy to make a real effort getting away. He stifles a laugh when Yixing nuzzles his nose into his ticklish ear, and he moves his hand to comb through Yixing's messy hair.
Soon after, he recognizes the crying sound of their youngest son. His instinct to console his son is stronger than his laziness to stay in bed. He pushes Yixing off him, this time with more force than usual. The elder groans in displeasure, and will probably complain for the lack of love, but Jongdae's mind is thinking about his son's sadness. So he goes to the bathroom quickly and does a quick shower before putting on clean boxers.
When he exited the bathroom, he sees that Yixing has finally woken up, and the elder looks grumpy as he glares at Jongdae.
“Where are you going? Come back to bed,” the elder whines at him.
The younger gives him an unimpressed glare before snatching the first shirt he sees, along with the shorts he found at the ground.
“He needs to learn to soothe himself with other people,” Yixing comments about their son. “He's not a baby anymore.”
“I know,” the younger half whines and half grumbles. “But I don't like hearing him cry this long. Plus, we still need to greet the kids before they sleep. Now, get up!”
He throws a dirty shirt into Yixing's face, but the elder simply swats it away.
“Gimme a kiss first!” The elder demands.
Jongdae knows that Yixing is likely to pull him into bed again, and they'll get nothing done, but he likes the elder's kisses and he misses Yixing way too much during the day. He'll blame it on his emotions for now, for letting Yixing pulling him back into bed for a while.
He enjoys the familiar sensation of Yixing's lips on his, and the way that the elder can make him breathless so easily. He's distracted by how Yixing's tongue flicks across his top lip, or that the elder likes to nibble on his bottom lip.
His arousal comes back strongly, and it doesn't help that Yixing’s hand has somehow slip inside his boxers, kneading his ass while slipping fingers between the cheeks.
It's only when he hears Daeul’s loud scream that he finally pushes Yixing away, breathless and hazy from desire. He licks his lips, noticing how Yixing’s eyes always seem to follow his tongue. He begrudgingly gets out of bed, slapping away Yixing's hands when the elder tries again.
“He's waiting for us,” Jongdae explains before fixing his shorts. “Take a shower, and join us,” the younger demands.
Yixing responses with a lazy smile before giving him a half hearted thumbs up.
“And who knows... maybe they'll sleep early and we can have round two,” he smirks coyly, making sure to let his hand rests on his ass before slowly caressing it.
Knowing that he can keep Yixing’s gaze on him is something that boosts his ego. He's glad that the elder doesn't seem to show signs of getting bored of him, at least not anytime soon.
***
Daeul immediately calms down once he sees his Papa, and even Anson looks noticeably happier. Jongdae barely has time to say hi before both boys demand his attention. He can't blame them for being clingy at times, especially when he indulges their wishes.
They end up sitting on the table, once Daeul finally agrees to eating his pizza. Anson is easier to control these days so Jongdae is thankful that he only has one difficult child.
He thanks Baekhyun, grudgingly, for watching them, and sweetly praises Minseok for being patient. Minseok can only guess that the younger will swindle more babysitting services for free. He doesn't mind it once he finds out that Yixing has given them unlimited access to his card.
As they eat in silence, as well as the random conversations, Yixing finally arrives with impeccable hair, and Jongdae glares at him for taking his sweet time.
“Nice of you to show up,” Jongdae says with spite. Yixing merely grins before greeting the boys.
They seem excited to see their Dada, especially Daeul, who insists on getting out of his high chair.
“No,” Jongdae tells him sternly. “Not until you finish your pizza.”
Yixing ruffles the little boy’s hair before gesturing if he can take Jongdae’s chair, so he can help take care of the boys.
“You have to make him finish his dinner, and not overstimulate them,” the younger threatens before reluctantly leaving his chair.
“Yes baby, I will,” Yixing reassures.
They have learned since Anson’s birth that over stimulating their kid before bedtime makes the kid more hyper. Therefore, they have a harder time putting them to bed.
Jongdae watches in amusement as Yixing tells them to use their soft voice. As much as Yixing gets busy and often misses some milestones, the elder has the most love for his kids. The younger is just glad that their kids aren't resenting Yixing’s lack of free time.
As the time approaches to 9 PM, Yixing guides the boys to the bathroom. Anson has already learned to brush his teeth well, while Daeul still needs his help.
Yixing likes to take his time putting the boys to bed, and it irritates Jongdae because he likes the routine to be done swiftly.
Luckily, he's in a better mood today, so he decides to go downstairs, and talk to his brother and Baekhyun. He sighs as he sits besides Baekhyun, who has rampaged through the cabinets for snacks. He makes a face upon seeing crumbs everywhere and makes a mental note for the cleaning lady to go through this room.
They end up talking for a while, and Jongdae finally notices the time once Yixing is back from finishing his fatherly duties. It's already past 10 pm by now, so Jongdae shoves his unwanted guests into the nearest exit, claiming that their stay is over welcomed. Baekhyun pouts, and whines as Minseok helps to drag him away. His loud voice is heard, even as the door is slammed into his face. Yixing is the only one who feels bad as he tries to open the door again.
“ No,” the younger complains, tugging Yixing's arm. “Let's go upstairs. I want to show you something.”
Yixing raises an amused eyebrow before letting Jongdae pull him away.
***
No one can blame Jongdae for being a clingy spouse, even after seven years of marriage. They have known each other even before the elder was famous. He met Yixing when the elder was a teenager with pimples, and his heavy accent was the joke of the classroom. The younger wasn't even in the same class as Yixing, but somehow fate wanted them to meet and be friends.
Logically, he shouldn't even miss the elder during the day. He should be bored of Yixing, after years of having the other by his side. Instead, it makes him yearns for the elder’s affections, especially when he realized that he doesn't get to see Yixing that often anymore.
There's always a trip to somewhere every month, and then the random days where the elder worked until past 10. It's challenging for both of them to keep their marriage happy. Therefore, when Jongdae manages to keep Yixing to himself, even if it's just for sleeping, he'll make sure that there's no one else near them to ruin the moment.
It's a quiet moment as Jongdae lays on his side and stares at Yixing’s sleepy eyes. The elder’s face hasn't changed much over the years, except the additional eye bags, and there's still so much youth in the elder's personality.
The younger smiles tiredly as he remembers the time that Yixing would pretend to be a ninja with his sons. He thinks about how he doesn't regret his life, not when there are so many good memories in his mind.
The nostalgia makes Jongdae remember of another memory. It was when Yixing hurt his head from trying to build Anson’s crib. There's a small scar on the elder's forehead as their reminder. He remembers how worried he was from seeing the blood, and how much he wanted to hit Yixing for being so clumsy.
“What are you thinking about?” Yixing interrupts his thoughts, looking a little worried.
“You,” the younger admits with a small smile. “You're too clumsy.”
Jongdae reaches out and traces the scar with his fingertips. Yixing realizes on what the younger means, and he pouts in defense.
“That's not true,” the elder complains. “We both know it was the instructions fault. Whoever wrote it was an idiot!”
The younger giggles at the rant, as if it's the first time he has heard it. He finds it funny that Yixing would only admit to flaws if he can't blame it on anything else.
He grabs the elder’s arm and wiggles his body closer to the elder, burrowing his face into Yixing's neck. There's a calming scent of vanilla lotion and the elder’s scent as Jongdae breathes it in.
Yixing swings an arm over Jongdae's waist and presses his lips against the younger's hair.
It might be weird to outsiders, that both of them like to smell each other, but it has always been their thing.
It doesn't take long for both to fall asleep to the soothing noise of their breathing.