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“Papa. Papa, up.”
Chan forces his eyes open, little hands tapping on his face too insistent to ignore. The glow of the nightlight on his husband’s nightstand lights up Jaesuk’s face. It shines across the tears on his cheeks, and Chan’s heart rate spikes with worry. “Jae-Jae, what are you doing out of bed?”
“Bad dream,” Jaesuk mutters, fiddling with the buttons of his pyjama top.
Chan sighs, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Alright. Come on up, bud,” he says, sitting up to help Jaesuk climb onto the bed. It can’t be morning yet, he feels like he’s only just gone to sleep. Felix, still snoring softly on his side of the bed, grumbles and tugs the blankets tighter around his body. “Careful. Daddy’s still sleeping.”
“Sorry daddy,” Jaesuk whispers, curling into Chan’s side. “Papa, story?”
“You want a story, little one?” He asks. He relaxes against the headboard, letting Jaesuk use his stomach as a pillow. He combs his fingers through Jaesuk’s curls, smoothing out sleep-ruffled tangles that Chan is all-too familiar with. “What story do you want?”
“Daddy and papa,” Jaesuk says.
Chan laughs, quietly so as not to wake his sleeping husband. “Daddy and papa. Okay. Well, did you know that daddy lived in a castle? And papa was a knight?”
“Papa,” Jaesuk grumbles, poking Chan in the stomach. Chan laughs again.
“It’s true! Daddy was a prince, and grandma and grandpa were King and Queen.” He grins as he weaves his tale, not entirely sure where he’s taking it but enjoying it nonetheless. “Prince Bokkie, that’s daddy, and Sir Channie, that’s papa.”
Jaesuk nods, nuzzling further into Chan’s side.
“Prince Bokkie was loved by all of his subjects. He was kind and gracious, he visited the city often to mingle with his people and buy flowers from a little flower shop by the sea. Prince Bokkie loved flowers. He loved azaleas and tulips and peonies, but he loved sunflowers most of all. He loved how pretty all his flowers looked when they were wrapped into wreaths. He liked when he brought bouquets home to the castle and they made everything smell nice. He always made sure to smell each and every one, just like you do. He would buy them for everyone he loved, like the King and Queen, and Sir Channie. And even little Jae-Jae.”
♡♡♡
“Here. These are for you.”
“Oh, Lix, these are beautiful. You shouldn’t have.”
“Please, Chris, they’re for me more than they are for you. You need some colour and life in here. And the roses will mask the smell of sweat.”
“Oi, fuck you… Thank you. Really. No one’s ever brought me flowers before you.”
♡♡♡
Jaesuk giggles. Chan can tell his interest has been piqued.
“Sometimes, Prince Bokkie would go into the forest to pick the flowers himself. He wanted to feel the petals under his fingers and match the colours together. He made bouquets and wreaths and crowns for everyone in his court. But sometimes the forest was dangerous. There were wolves in the forest, big, scary wolves, that were very mean. Prince Bokkie knew he would be safe if he didn’t go too far into the forest. If he really had to, he would be extra safe and take a friend. Uncle Minho was a knight, like papa, and Uncle Binnie was a prince from another kingdom, and his muscles and his loud voice would scare the mean wolves away.”
Jaesuk giggles again. He rubs his forehead against the dip of Chan’s waist. Maybe he should wrap the story up soon. It seems to be doing the opposite of putting Jaesuk back to sleep.
“One day, Prince Bokkie went too far into the forest. He was distracted by all the pretty flowers and all their pretty colours. So distracted that he left Uncle Changbin behind, so he had no muscles or yelling to protect him, and he didn’t have Uncle Minho either. Prince Bokkie didn’t realize he’d wandered so far off until he bumped right into one of the big, scary wolves.”
A startled gasp leaves Jaesuk’s mouth. He cranes his head up to stare at Chan with shocked, wide eyes.
“Prince Bokkie was strong, he could take care of himself. He could’ve scared the wolf off, if he hadn’t been so concerned with finding his way home. And the wolf was determined to make Prince Bokkie his dinner.”
“No,” Jaesuk interjects. “No dinner. Daddy!”
“It’s alright, little one. Right as the wolf was about to pounce, Sir Channie stepped in. Sir Channie had been patrolling the forest to make sure the kingdom was safe, and he heard the wolf growling and Prince Bokkie’s cries for help. He pulled Prince Bokkie out of the way right as the wolf snapped its teeth.”
♡♡♡
“He already asked you to leave him alone, mate.”
“It’s none of your business.”
“It is my business if you won’t listen to him. He has the patience to tell you to fuck off more than once. I don’t.”
“Whatever, man. He probably would’ve been a shit lay, anyway.”
♡♡♡
“Sir Channie was a kind knight. It made him sad to see Prince Bokkie so upset. He told the wolf to leave Prince Bokkie alone, or he would have to face Sir Channie’s sword.”
“No sword!” Jaesuk argues, ever the pacifist. When Felix read him The Three Little Pigs, he’d cried over the pot of wolf soup at the bottom of the chimney.
Chan smiles, indulging himself in another pass of his hand through his son’s soft hair. “No sword. The wolf listened to Sir Channie. He hung his head and apologized to Prince Bokkie. Because Prince Bokkie was also part fairy, he had magical powers. He turned the mean wolf into a little puppy, and Sir Channie and Prince Bokkie took him to a shelter.”
“What’s that?” Jaesuk asks. He yawns, curling a fist into Chan’s sleep shirt.
“You might’ve been too little, but do you remember when we were looking for puppies before we found Berry’s mommy and daddy? The place where papa played with that really big puppy?” Jaesuk nods. “Prince Bokkie and Sir Channie took the wolf puppy there so he could find a nice family like Berry did.”
“Wolfie nice?”
“Yes, sweetheart, the wolf was very nice once he was turned into a puppy. Once the wolf puppy was brought to the shelter, Prince Bokkie gave Sir Channie a pretty, red rose to say thank you.”
♡♡♡
“You actually kept it? Like, actually, the flower in that frame is the same one I gave you two months ago? You’re not lying to me?”
“How could I not? It was the first flower I’d ever received. And it came from you. Why would I lie to you?”
“Who even told you how to press flowers properly? I sure didn’t. We’ve only been on two dates.”
“Hyunjin. Are you saying he shouldn’t have told me until I’d taken him on three dates first?”
“Oh, five, at least. Those are trade secrets.”
♡♡♡
“Rose!” Jaesuk says, little finger stretching out to point at the glass frame hanging above the headboard.
“That’s right. That’s the rose.”
“Daddy love papa?”
“Daddy loves papa now. I don’t think he did when he gave papa the rose, but we got there eventually.”
“Daddy love papa,” he says more insistently. “Story, papa.”
Chan shakes his head. “That’s a long story, bud, and you need to be sleeping. I don’t think you’ll find it as interesting, either.”
“Story.”
“Okay, okay. Prince Bokkie gave Sir Channie the rose, and Sir Channie didn’t see Prince Bokkie for two days after that. Not until Sir Channie learned that Prince Bokkie was friends with Uncle Minho. Uncle Minho was a knight like Sir Channie, remember? They worked together to protect the kingdom. Uncle Minho worked on the castle grounds and Sir Channie only worked in the village nearby. But two days after Sir Channie saved Prince Bokkie from the wolf, Uncle Changbin came to visit, and Sir Channie was asked to work in the castle.”
♡♡♡
“Can you work reception for the dance centre? Please, please, please, hyung? Chaeyoung called in sick.”
“I have clients booked today, Min, you know I can’t.”
“Can’t Changbin take them? He doesn’t have any today, I asked him already.”
“Then why can’t he work reception?”
“You really trust him to be able to make sense of the studio schedules? Hey, remember Felix? The guy you fell in love with at the club? He’s on my old dance team and he has a private studio booked for his year end solo. You’ll get to talk to him again.”
“… Fine.”
♡♡♡
“When Prince Bokkie saw Sir Channie again, he asked him to stay for tea and sweets. They had the blueberry tea that daddy likes and papa’s favourite chocolate chip cookies.”
Jaesuk sinks further into Chan’s side. “Mellow?” He asks, words beginning to slur together.
“Of course. Jae-Jae’s favourite marshmallow treats, too. They talked for hours about how much Prince Bokkie liked to dance and how much he liked his flowers. And they talked about Sir Channie protecting the kingdom and the singing he did in his free time.”
Chan pauses, waiting to see if Jaesuk will interrupt. All he gets is a soft snore, a jolt, and a questioning grumble. He shuffles himself down the bed so that he can lie down properly, rearranging Jaesuk to rest his head on his chest.
“Prince Bokkie and Sir Channie got along so well that Sir Channie asked if he could take Prince Bokkie on a picnic, and Prince Bokkie agreed. They went on a picnic the very next day, and Prince Bokkie taught Sir Channie how to make flower crowns. Prince Bokkie gave Sir Channie a bouquet of sunflowers and roses. It was an odd combination, but it was both of their favourite flowers combined. Sir Channie fell in love with Prince Bokkie then, when he realized that Prince Bokkie was willing to sacrifice how pretty his bouquets looked for how happy this specific one would make Sir Channie.”
♡♡♡
“I know it’s kinda ugly, but-”
“Lix, no, it’s beautiful.”
“Okay, well, you just don’t have an eye for these kinds of things. You’d probably think any bouquet of flowers was beautiful.”
“Only if you made it for me.”
“Jesus, Chris. You can’t say stuff like that. You’re gonna give me a heart attack.”
“Doesn’t matter how many bouquets you give me, you’d still be the most beautiful flower to hold. Wait, are you crying? Lix, why are you crying.”
“You’re so fucking sweet. Dammit, my eyeliner isn’t waterproof. Just take the goddamn bouquet out of my hands before I start watering it with my tears.”
♡♡♡
“They shared their first kiss under a willow tree in the middle of summer, surrounded by hydrangeas and daisies and buttercups. Sir Channie protected that bouquet like he protected the kingdom. He kept it alive for as long as he could. When it started to fade, Prince Bokkie taught Sir Channie how to dry the flowers so he could keep them forever. And when they got married a year later, Prince Bokkie had a bouquet of roses and Sir Channie had a bouquet of sunflowers to take down the aisle. They found out, a few months after the wedding, that Prince Bokkie had carried another flower down the aisle with him, without anyone knowing. Little Prince Jae-Jae had been at the wedding, too. The most important flower of them all. Prince Bokkie and Sir Channie’s favourite flower.”
Chan cranes his neck down to kiss the crown of his son’s sleeping head. He’d fallen asleep sometime between the sunflower and rose bouquet and the first kiss.
Over the years, Chan has learned to keep telling the story. He’s learned that Jaesuk is sometimes only half asleep, and stopping the lull of a quiet voice will only wake him up again. He’s learned a lot of things in two and a half years. Mainly, how much he loves the little family that he has. How he’d do anything he could to keep them safe, like a knight protecting a kingdom.
♡♡♡
Chan wakes up to the scent of pancakes and roses, and to soft lips pressing against his cheek.
“Good morning, my love,” Felix whispers, grinning against Chan’s skin. He places something hard across Chan’s lap when he sits up. Jaesuk is still tucked up against Chan’s side, sleeping soft and sound.
Chan rubs his eyes, forcing them open. There’s a tray of pancakes and bacon in front of him, a couple glasses of juice, and a little vase with a sunflower, a rose, and a stalk of baby’s breath. “Morning, baby. What’s all this?”
“Breakfast in bed for my two favourite boys. Pancakes and bacon for both of you. Milk for Little Prince Jae-Jae and pineapple juice for my Sir Channie.”
Chan’s cheeks heat up. “How much of that story did you hear?”
“Oh, all of it. What a romantic you are. I didn’t know you fell in love with me on our first date,” Felix says, punctuating his sentence with a kiss to Chan’s lips.
“I think I fell in love with you the minute that I laid eyes on you. I’ve been tumbling and falling faster and faster ever since.”
Felix grumbles, dipping his head into the crook of Chan’s neck to nip at his skin. “Told you to stop being so sweet, didn’t I? My heart can’t handle it.”
Chan rolls his eyes, rubbing a hand over Jaesuk’s back to start waking him slowly. “Will the beautiful Prince Bokkie be joining us for breakfast?”
“I would be honoured.” Felix grins. Jaesuk squirms, half awake, and Felix crosses the bed to pepper his face with kisses. “Wouldn’t you be a prince, too, my love? Since we’re married?”
“I’ll always be your knight, Lix. Yours and Jae-Jae’s. You have my life and my sword,” he says, words turning to giggles as Felix’s ears start to burn red. “I would protect you from every evil wolf in the entire world if I could.”
“I’m cutting you off from fairytales. I’m taking every princess story off of the bookshelf and hiding it away,” Felix grumbles, hiding his face in the softness of Jaesuk’s tummy. “I love you, Chris.”
“I love you, too, my prince.”