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As the flickering remnants of his dream began to fade away, Wooyoung suddenly became aware of someone tapping his arm, the gentle but insistent touches rousing him from his slumber.
“San-ah?” he whispered, brow furrowing as he shuffled into the warm skin at his back. But his boyfriend’s arms were still locked firmly around his body, holding him close with his slow, even breaths tickling the base of Wooyoung’s neck.
Slowly, he blinked his eyes open in confusion.
Wooyoung started a little in surprise as he made out a pair of eyes peering at him through the dark, not even a foot from his face. “Wooyoungie samchon,” a small voice whined.
Ah, right. His niece. Or one of them at least. It was Wooyoung’s brother’s wedding anniversary so he and his wife had jetted off to Jeju for the weekend, leaving their three children behind with Wooyoung and San. The young couple had jumped at the chance to host their nieces and nephew – usually they stayed with Wooyoung’s parents – and so they had spent the whole of yesterday morning kid-proofing the flat before they arrived in the afternoon, the calm atmosphere instantly devolving into chaos the moment the three troublemakers set foot through the door.
“Arin-ah, what’s wrong?” Wooyoung asked gently, careful not to wake the others. A glance over Arin’s small body showed the two other children still fast asleep on their mats.
“My dream was scary,” she sniffled, the mattress dipping slightly as Wooyoung reached over to help her climb onto the bed. “A dragon chased me and stole my teddy and...and he wouldn’t give it back even though I said ‘please’.” She clutched onto Wooyoung’s arm and his heart clenched as he noticed the tears glistening in her eyes. “And then he fired the whole place and...and...” she trailed off as she started to cry quietly. Wooyoung made a noise of distress and tucked her into his chest as much as he could with San’s arms wrapped around him. The girl’s skin was cold to touch.
“It’s okay Arin-ah, it was only a dream. It’s not real.” He stroked her head reassuringly. “Wooyoungie samchon is here now. Shall I have a fight with the dragon? I’ll get my magic sword from the cupboard and chase him away.”
Arin began to giggle as she wiped her eyes with the heels of her palms. “Can you shoot bunnies from your sword?” She hiccupped.
“Yes, of course,” Wooyoung replied, nodding seriously. “I will aim them at the dragon and they will be so cute he will freeze and turn into a mummy bunny just to look after them.”
“And then he will shrink until I can put him in my pocket and throw him in the bin!” Arin’s squeaky voice began to rise and Wooyoung shushed her with a smile.
“That’s mean; who will look after the baby bunnies?”
“We will!”
“Hmmm, okay,” Wooyoung agreed. “They can live in Sannie samchon’s office.”
Arin giggled again but this time it was cut off by a huge yawn.
“Do you want to go back to sleep, Arin-ah? It’s very late.” Wooyoung began to release the young girl from his arms but she clung on, shaking her head.
“I want to stay here,” she pleaded, burying her head into Wooyoung’s chest. He chuckled quietly. It wouldn’t hurt for her to stay, he supposed. The bed was plenty big enough so there was no danger of her falling off.
“Okay, honey, just this once,” he replied with a kind smile. “Turn around and get under the blanket then; you can be the baby spoon.”
“I’m not a baby,” she whined but rolled over anyway, tucking herself against Wooyoung’s back in a foetal position as he lifted the duvet.
“Yes, you are.” Wooyoung tweaked her nose. “But that’s okay, someone’s got to be the baby after all.”
“That’s you!” She turned slightly to poke Wooyoung’s cheek but missed in the dark and Wooyoung got a nail to the ear. He winced slightly.
“Let’s go to sleep Arin-ah.” he said with a chuckle. “We don’t want to wake Sannie samchon, he’s like an angry bear when he is woken up.”
“Okay, sorry Wooyoungie samchon.”
“No worries, Arin-ah. Night, night.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her tiny ear.
“Night night, Wooyoungie samchon.”
Wooyoung smiled as his niece passed out almost instantly and he carefully placed his arm as not to squash the delicate girl. It was a special feeling, he thought, to be responsible for a child, especially when they were so vulnerable as they slept. Wooyoung felt honoured to have the opportunity to care for his nieces and nephew and he made a mental note to thank his brother later. He had always wanted to adopt, but it wasn't something he and San had particularly talked about yet. Perhaps it was too soon – although they had been dating for nearly four years now. He would bring it up sometime next week, he thought, making the decision before his brain could start coming up with nervous excuses.
Turning his head, Wooyoung managed to place a loving kiss on San’s shoulder before settling down and huddling into the warmth of his skin. Wooyoung’s eyes felt heavy and before he knew it, he was swept away once more into the depths of sleep.
**
By the time San drifted into the realms of consciousness, the morning sun had just started to peek through the edges of the curtains, casting the room in a gentle red glow. He was still in the position he had fallen asleep in, curled around Wooyoung, and he pressed his lips to the back of his boyfriend’s neck, nestling his face into his hair. Attempting to shift his arm, San quickly realised it was trapped between Wooyoung’s body and something small and warm.
Frowning, he blinked the sleep from his eyes and lifted his head. What he saw made his heart explode with fondness, despite the blur of his vision without glasses. One of the twins (Arin, perhaps? He couldn’t quite tell from this angle.) was cocooned in Wooyoung’s arms, face smooshed into his chest with her mouth open, drool wetting Wooyoung’s skin. Wooyoung himself was clearly far into dreamland, holding the toddler close with her head tucked under his. His beautiful features were slack with sleep and San felt his own face stretch into a soft smile. He was so lucky, he thought, to call such an extraordinary man his own.
Heart fluttering, San realised this was the image of his deepest desires: him and Wooyoung waking up on a lazy weekend with their own child, their own family, tucked between them as the sun streamed in. A picture of what could be. Happiness coursed through San's veins and he cast his mind to the ring that had caught his eye as he walked past the jewellers the other day. Sinking back into the bed, he buried his face back into Wooyoung’s neck to smother his grin, feeling giddy. He was almost embarrassed by the intensity of the heart-eyes he must surely have right now.
Gripping his boyfriend a little tighter, San found tiredness pulling at the edges of his mind once more and he let out a sleepy sigh. The quietness of the room was a blessing he should take advantage of, he supposed – as soon as the children woke up it would return to chaos. Not that he minded, he had always loved children, had always found the energy to keep up with their crazy ways. Chuckling to himself, San snuggled in closer and shut his eyes.
One day, he thought. One day soon.