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The house buzzes with chaos as Joong and Dunk scramble to get the kids ready for Grandma’s.
“Are you still putting on makeup?” Joong asks his oldest girl, Nam. He’s in her bedroom, checking how far she’s gone with getting ready. “You don’t need that stuff. You’re pretty without it.”
“It makes me look prettier, Daddy.”
“Does it?” Joong’s left eyebrow lifts curiously
Nam slides out of her seat and rushes out of the bedroom, passing Joong, who stares at her in awe. He sighs, hands on his waist, and follows, calling out, “Where are you going?”
Nam goes straight to look for her dad and finds him just stepping out of the bath with Akk in his arms. “Dad, Dad, do I look pretty?” She strikes a cute pose in front of him.
Joong comes up behind Nam, arms crossed against his chest. “Princess, I already told you, you look nice.”
Nam peers back briefly at her daddy. “I heard you, but I want to know what Dad thinks. He knows more about beauty than you.”
Joong pouts, pretending to be offended as Dunk chuckles and says, “You look very pretty, sweetie, but the pink lip gloss doesn’t match your dress. Use the peach color on your lips and replace the green ribbon on your ponytail with the sky-blue one.”
Nam nods seriously, like she’s just been given expert advice. “Okay, thanks, Dad!” She gives two thumbs up and smiles, then turns on her heel to rush back to her bedroom and make the changes. On her way there, she glances up at her daddy and shakes her head in disappointment. “You were gonna let me go out looking a mess, Daddy. See why I don’t ask you about this stuff?” She doesn’t wait for an answer, just moves past Joong.
Joong looks helplessly at Dunk. “You’re making me look bad.” Then he mouths I hate you- though there’s no real malice in it.
Dunk just blows his husband a kiss and goes back to getting their youngest ready.
Joong heads to the living room and finds his second girl, Mai. She sees him and immediately runs to him, taking his hand. “Daddy, help me find Akk’s magenta truck. If he doesn’t have it when we go, he won’t stop crying.”
Ever the responsible one between the two girls, even though she’s only five years old, Mai has already started packing the toys they’ll need, her favorite sweater, Nam’s things, and everything else she knows they like to take to their grandparents’ house.
“Where haven’t you looked?” Joong asks her, and the two of them search for the missing truck together. Once they find it, they finish packing side by side.
When they’re done, Mai walks up to her daddy, who’s seated on the sofa zipping up the last bag. She throws her small arms around him and asks, “Are you and Dad going to a nice place without us today?”
Joong smiles, feeling a mix of trepidation and pride that his kids are now old enough to recognize when their parents want time alone. He doesn’t bother denying it. Abandoning the bag, he pulls Mai into his arms and nods.
“Uncle Phuwin and Uncle Pond are coming over for lunch.”
Mai's face lights up at the mention of her favorite Uncle Pond, and his son- her best friend. "Next time can we go to Uncle Pond's house to play?"
“Sure, Birdie. I’ll tell Uncle Pond about it.” Joong kisses Mai’s cheek, then the other one, then her forehead until she giggles. “I’ll miss you today,” he tells her.
“I’ll miss you too, Daddy.” She kisses his cheek in return.
“Do my pigtails look nice, Daddy?”
Joong studies them. They’re not perfect, but she did them herself, and he doesn’t want to hurt her feelings. “Yes, you look pretty.”
“I did them myself. I like it better when you do my pigtails. Could you fix them for me? Nam knows how, but she’s doing her hair.”
Joong smiles softly. “Sure.” He stands, picks her up in his arms, and they go to her bedroom to find a hairbrush.
Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Dunk is sprinkling powder on his Akk before fastening his diaper when his phone rings, Phuwin’s name flashing on the screen. He quickly snaps the diaper in place and answers.
“Hey.”
“Hey. Wanted to know if you and Joong need us to bring anything else for lunch besides wine and fruit.”
“Uh…” Dunk hums, struggling to wrangle a wiggling Akk into a sweater. “Joong’s cooking, so he already got everything he needs… I think.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure. I’ll ask Joong and call you again if there is anything he needs” Dunk sighs and sits on the bed, using his shoulder to wipe sweat from his neck. “I’m so glad you’re coming over. We desperately need to catch up.”
“You sound stressed lately, Dunk. You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just…” He pauses, thinking. “A little tired, that’s all.” He laughs lightly. “I’m a dad to a 19-month-old and two other fast growing girls. It’s normal.”
“Sure that’s all it is? You can tell me. If it’s a secret, I won’t even tell Pond.”
Dunk knows his best friend means it, and he truly appreciates the loyalty. "I'm fine. I promise. On second thought, please make me your tomatoes and cabbage salad. I've been craving that for a while."
"You got it!"
"We'll talk when you get here." Dunk feels his chest warm with excitement at spending time with his best friend. Oddly, he'd met Phuwin through Pond when the two started dating, but Dunk ended up growing closer to Phuwin instead.
"See you soon."
Dunk finishes dressing Akk and picks him up, heading out to find Joong. He discovers Joong in Mai's room, fixing her hair.
"Dad! Daddy's doing my hair. Does it look nice?" Mai immediately brightens when she sees Dunk.
Dunk smiles softly, but before he can respond, Akk grows impatient, squirming in his arms, eager to reach his daddy, calling out for him.
Joong grins helplessly. "I'll take Bao Bao. Could you finish Mai's hair?"
As Joong starts playing with Akk like they're best friends the same age, Dunk quickly finishes Mai's hair. He takes her to the mirror, and her beaming smile shows she's thrilled with the result. She rushes to show Joong.
"Is Nam ready?" Dunk asks, then adds before anyone can answer, "I'll go check on her." He pauses, turning to Joong. "Phuwin called asking if we need anything special for lunch. Do you?"
Joong hums thoughtfully before gently detaching from Akk and standing up. "Can't think of anything. You?"
"Not really. Okay, I'll go shower and get ready."
"Okay." Joong nods and leans in, giving Dunk a soft kiss on the lips.
Seeing his dad go, Akk gets emotional and tries to chase after him, but Joong intercepts, picking Akk up in his arms as he starts crying. The sound of his baby crying tugs on Dunk’s heartstrings and he goes back to try and comfort him. Akk cheers up for all the three minutes is dad is there, but resumes crying the moment Dunk steps away again.
“We’ll be okay.” Joong reassures. “Go.”
***
Dunk finds Nam in her room putting the final touches on her outfit. She spots him and tugs him toward the mirror. "So, what do you think, Dad?"
"What I'm wondering is why you're putting in all this effort just for Grandma and Grandpa's house."
Nam smiles sheepishly, blinking up at him. "I like looking cute."
"Oh?" Dunk's eyebrows shoot up. "This wouldn't have anything to do with Yin, would it? Are you meeting him today?"
Yin is a friend of Nam's. They go to the same school and he lives near Dunk's parents' house. Recently Yin and Nam started a puppy love thing- much to Dunk's amusement and Joong's chagrin. Yin is Nam's age, a good kid. His family gets along well with Dunk's parents, and he often visits when Nam is there. The two bonded over video games. Last visit, Dunk noticed the shy smiles and sweet interactions; the most adorable puppy love he'd seen in years.
When Nam hesitates to answer, Dunk adds, "You can talk to me about Yin. I won't get upset."
"You'll tell Daddy, and he'll get upset," Nam says worriedly.
Dunk understands. Joong is a doting, indulgent father, but the idea of his girls having boyfriends? That's where he draws the line. Dunk's been slowly easing Joong into the reality that their kids are growing up, but so far, Joong remains resistant.
Dunk can still recall well how this entire thing started five months ago.
The café was quiet, sunlight filtering through the windows as Dunk, Joong, and Nam, sat at a corner table. Mai was visiting her uncles Pond and Phuwin’s house that day and Akk was at his Joong’s mom’s house.
Nam swung her legs under her chair, chattering between bites of her sandwich.
“And then Yin said we should build a fort at recess,” she announced, grinning. “And he shared his cookies with me!”
Dunk smirked, exchanging an amused glance with Joong. “You talk about Yin a lot, Princess. Is he your new best friend?”
Nam’s cheeks turned pink. She fiddled with her napkin before mumbling, “...He’s my boyfriend.”
Joong put his coffee mug down on the table with a hard thud.
Dunk laughed. “Oh, how cute.” He took a sip of coffee, eyes crinkling as he turned to gaze out the window.
Joong, meanwhile, had gone very still. “Princess,” he said slowly, “who is this boy?”
Nam was already distracted, poking at her touchpad, but Joong gently tapped her wrist. “Since when do you have a boyfriend?”
She ducked her head. “He held my hand and asked me to be his girlfriend,” she whispered.
Joong’s frown deepened. “What do we know about this Yin? What’s his last name? Who are his parents? What grade is he in? Does he live near us?” The questions spilled out rapid-fire until Nam blinked up at him, wide-eyed.
Dunk glanced over. “What is it, tua-eng?”
“I want to know who my little girl is seeing,” Joong said tightly, “and why she’s seeing anyone at all.”
“Well, they probably like each other,” Dunk offered.
Nam giggled, pointing between her dads. “Like you two!”
“Exactly.” Dunk grinned, stroking her hair.
Joong wasn’t having it. He took Nam’s small hand. “Don’t date boys. Boys are bad for you. You’re too young.”
“But you’re not bad, Daddy.”
“Only because I’m your dad,” Joong said sternly. “All other boys are bad. Do you hear me?”
Nam’s smile vanished. She nodded, lower lip wobbling.
Dunk’s chest ached. He leaned in. “Is Yin a nice boy, Princess?”
Nam hesitated, glancing nervously at Joong.
“It’s okay,” Dunk murmured. “Daddy’s not upset with you, is he?” He shot Joong a look- Fix this.
Joong’s jaw flexed, but he forced a smile and opened his arms. “Of course not, baby.”
Nam scrambled into his lap, and Joong kissed her hair. “Tell us about Yin.”
That night, Dunk watched Joong pace their bedroom, his agitation palpable.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” Dunk finally asked, catching his wrist.
Joong sighed. “Rain check on this conversation?”
Dunk shook his head. “You’ve been upset since Princess told us about Yin. Talk to me.”
Joong dragged a hand down his face. “I thought we had another twenty years before we had to worry about boys.”
Dunk snorted. “Maybe eight years. Twenty is a bit much.”
Joong shot him a glare, but Dunk just tugged him onto the bed. “She’s seven, Joong. This isn’t real dating. It’s just… practice for being human.”
“That’s worse,” Joong grumbled.
Dunk chuckled, threading their fingers together. “We’ve raised her just fine. She’ll grow up, and we can’t control every little thing. But we can be there to guide her.”
Joong was quiet for a long moment. “…Do we at least get to background-check Yin?”
Dunk burst out laughing. “God, yes. We’ll interrogate his entire family tree if it makes you feel better.”
Joong smirked, but his voice was raw when he whispered, “I just don’t want her to get hurt.”
Dunk pulled him close. “I know. But we’ll be there when it happens. That’s all we can do.”
Almost five months later now, Joong is still not a fan and Nam is aware.
"I won't tell Daddy. I promise. If you want him to know, you'll tell him yourself. Just remember Daddy loves you and only worries because he wants what's best for you. You don't have to hide things from him. He won't be mad at you."
Nam relaxes slightly, then admits quietly, "I’m going to Yin’s house with grandma today.”
"So that is why you want to look so pretty today?"
Nam giggles, covering her face before peeking through her fingers. "Yes."
Dunk grins, resisting the urge to coo. "So you two are still nice to each other?"
She nods eagerly.
"Well, you do look very beautiful today. You two have fun, okay?”
“Okay.” Nam beckons him down for a hug. "Thanks, Dad."
Dunk smiles. "I love you."
"Love you too."
***
Dunk steps out of the shower and begins his morning routine. Joong walks into their bedroom and finds him rummaging through drawers for socks, the rest of his outfit neatly laid out on the bed.
"Hi," Dunk chirps, finally locating the right pair and shutting the drawer.
"Hi, baby." Joong wraps his arms around Dunk from behind, pressing kisses to his shoulder- once, twice, lingering on the warm, soft skin. He breathes in Dunk’s scent, lips trailing up his neck until he finds a spot to suck gently, leaving a faint mark.
Dunk shivers as pleasure spreads through him. Joong’s mouth moves to his jaw, placing light, open-mouthed kisses until Dunk turns in his arms. Their fingers tangle in each other’s hair as the kiss deepens, hungry and slow. Joong pulls Dunk closer by the waist, hands roaming over the smooth skin of his back.
Reluctantly, Dunk breaks away with a groan. "I wish we didn’t have to leave now."
Joong chases his lips. "We can be an hour late," he murmurs against Dunk’s mouth.
"Our kids will barge in any second. You know how they are."
Joong groans, dropping his head onto Dunk’s shoulder. "I love them, but they’re killing me," he mutters, chuckling.
Dunk laughs. "Same."
"Feels like forever since we’ve had more than a quickie."
Sliding his arms around Joong’s neck, Dunk grins. "That’s what tonight’s for. You’ll have me all to yourself."
Joong’s face lights up like a kid promised candy. "Can’t wait."
"Me either."
“Are you okay though? Your face looks a little drawn.”
“I’m tired that’s all.”
Joong gives Dunk a big hug to “rejuvenate” him.
***
After dropping the kids at Dunk’s parents’ house, they linger to help them settle in. Mai and Nam hug them goodbye before darting off, but Akk bursts into dramatic tears when his parents turn to leave.
Joong’s heart cracks. He nearly caves, ready to scoop Akk back into his arms, but Dunk and his parents assure him Akk will calm down soon. With great effort, Joong finally agrees, though not without one last dramatic sprint back to smother Akk in kisses.
Dunk watches fondly. Joong has always been the more anxious parent, struggling with separation whenever they’re apart from the kids.
***
Pond and Phuwin arrive around 11 a.m. The group gathers in the kitchen, unpacking everything Joong needs for his cooking.
"Beer, anyone?" Pond asks, already cracking one open.
Everyone accepts except Dunk, who declines. "I’ll wait for wine later."
"You’re missing out," Pond teases. "Drinking while cooking is half the fun."
"I’ll survive," Dunk says with a laugh. “I’ll drink when we toast to my big news. I have something to share with all of you.”
The other three men exchange curious glances. Joong walks up to Dunk, “What news? How come you didn’t share it with me first?”
“I want to tell everybody at the same time.”
Joong tilts his head, regarding his husband with a look of suspicion. Dunk grins and gives him a quick kiss on the lips, “You’ll love it, tua eng. I promise….I hope.”
Joong nods, momentarily appeased.
"Joong, you and Pond got this?" Phuwin asks. "Mind if I steal Dunk for a bit?"
Joong eyes him skeptically. "You two would actually be helpful here. Pond can’t even tell onion from garlic."
"That was one time!" Pond protests, rolling his eyes.
"Yeah, and you’re still useless," Joong counters, grinning. But he waves them off. "Go ahead. We’ll manage."
"We’ll set the table," Phuwin says, leaning in to kiss Pond goodbye before leaving the kitchen.
Dunk raises an eyebrow. "Did you just kiss your husband before leaving the room?"
Phuwin shrugs, smiling. "I’ll miss him."
Pond’s gaze follows Phuwin out, his grin dopey until Joong snaps his fingers.
"Focus. Start chopping tomatoes- the red, round things on the counter."
Pond flips him off. Joong just laughs.
***
Dunk and Phuwin sink into the living room sofa, postponing table-setting to catch up.
"You look amazing," Phuwin remarks. "Seriously, how do you manage with three kids?"
Dunk chuckles. "Thanks. You're not exactly struggling either."
"Yeah, but I only have one kid...and that's staying that way."
Dunk freezes, brow furrowing. "Wait, you're stopping at one?"
Phuwin nods.
"Does Pond know?"
Another head shake.
"How's that going to work?" Dunk lowers his voice.
Phuwin glances toward the kitchen before whispering, "I don't know how to tell him. He's already planning more kids."
"What changed for you?"
"It took me forever to get my body back. My career was on pause. I can't do that again."
Dunk hums thoughtfully.
"You think I'm being selfish." Phuwin states more than asks.
"Your body, your choice."
"But marriage isn't just about me, right?" Phuwin sighs heavily.
"Hey, you said it, not me."
Phuwin rolls his eyes and downs the rest of his wine.
Sensing his friend's distress, Dunk rubs comforting circles on Phuwin's thigh.
"I love my husband. I want to make him happy," Phuwin continues quietly.
"But what about you?" The words tumble out before Dunk can stop them.
"Exactly."
"Honestly? Marriage doesn't leave much room for pure 'I' decisions."
Phuwin groans, throwing his head back. "I need a stronger drink." When he straightens, he offers a weak smile. "Seriously though, how do you stay hot while running a pastry empire and raising three kids?"
Dunk laughs. "It's fucking hard."
"No shit. So how?"
"Great partner. Shoutout to my affordable therapist. Special thanks to wine. And extra special thanks to my husband being incredible in bed- makes the baby-making process very...enjoyable."
"Bragging again," Phuwin teases.
"If body image is your main concern, I'll share my post-baby workout routine."
"I'd appreciate that. Thanks." Phuwin exhales. "Enough about my terrified ovaries. How are you really?"
"Good. Just frustrated. Joong and I can't get five minutes alone without a kid barging in. We haven't had proper, uninterrupted sex in months."
"Can't relate," Phuwin deadpans, making them both laugh.
***
Lunch is a lively affair filled with easy banter, friendly competition, and genuine connection. For the first time in months without children around, Joong and Dunk occasionally forget their company - stealing kisses, whispering private jokes, fingers interlacing between courses.
Pond and Phuwin exchange knowing looks but refrain from teasing, granting their friends this rare intimacy.
"Everyone remember I mentioned news?" Dunk announces as they enjoy his homemade chocolate cake.
"Right!" Pond grins. "Almost forgot."
Dunk turns to Joong with an apologetic smile. "Sorry I didn't tell you first, but I wanted us all to share this moment." He pauses dramatically. "I'm pregnant."
"Again?!" Pond and Phuwin exclaim in perfect sync.
Joong's chopsticks clatter to his plate. His expression cycles through shock to wonder to unrestrained joy. "We're really having another baby?"
Dunk wiggles his eyebrows, savoring Joong's dawning elation.
"I'm so happy," Joong breathes before pulling Dunk into a deep kiss.
"You two really enjoy keeping us guessing how this keeps happening," Pond mutters dryly, making Phuwin snort into his wine.
Joong ignores them, eyes locked on Dunk. "How far along?"
"Just over a month."
"A month?" Phuwin chokes. "And you didn't notice anything different?"
Dunk shrugs.
"How would he?" Pond deadpans. "The man's permanently pregnant."
Joong's gaze softens as he caresses Dunk's cheek. "This is perfect." He leans in, pressing his lips to Dunk's in a kiss that's slow, tender and sweet. Dunk sighs into it, reaching up to curl his fingers around Joong's wrist. He feels his husband’s pulse racing, fast and warm under his touch.
When they finally pull apart, Joong keeps their foreheads pressed together, his voice a low, loving scold. "You had wine tonight."
Dunk smiles, unapologetic. "Only one. The doctor said once in a while is okay."
Joong huffs, but his thumb still strokes Dunk’s cheekbone- gentle, possessive, happy.
"Meanwhile," Pond continues, "We thought you cleared the house for baby-making tonight. Turns out you've already been...productive." He raises his glass. "Impressive efficiency."
Phuwin shakes his head. "We could never."
"True," Pond agrees.
Dunk throws a napkin at Phuwin, who catches it mid-laugh.
Phuwin and Pond help clear the table before leaving, turning cleanup into another opportunity for laughter and conversation. By 6pm, they're gone, leaving Joong and Dunk alone in their suddenly too-quiet house.
Dunk grabs a glass of water in the kitchen, breaking the silence first. "It's creepy how quiet it gets without the kids."
Joong nods, smiling. "When they're here, the noise drives us crazy. When they're gone..." He trails off, already reaching for his phone to call Dunk's parents.
What starts as a quick check-in turns into a fifty-minute video call with their excited daughters, who can't wait to share every detail of their day with Grandma and Grandpa. Akk, they learn, recovered from his tears so completely that he now refuses to even come to the phone - too busy playing. Dunk laughs while Joong theatrically clutches his chest in mock betrayal.
After saying goodnight to the girls and chatting briefly with Dunk's parents, they finally hang up. Assured their children are happy and their home is in order, they turn their attention to their long-awaited evening alone.
"Why do I feel like a teenager whose parents just left for the weekend?" Dunk chuckles.
Joong laughs. "We can pretend all we want, but those kids run our lives. We don't make a single decision without thinking of them first."
Dunk exhales dramatically. "They're our entire world. This house feels wrong without them. Exhausting little monsters who somehow became my whole happiness."
Joong pulls Dunk into his arms, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. "I'm so glad we're having another one."
Dunk closes his eyes, melting into the embrace. "Me too."
Joong leans back to study Dunk's face. "Boy or girl?"
"Hope it's a boy."
"I want another girl."
"You've got two already! Akk needs a buddy," Dunk reasons, grinning when Joong pouts like one of their children. "Fine, we'll see."
"I wonder how our Bao Bao will handle not being the baby anymore. That kid's spoiled rotten."
"Remember Nam's meltdown when Mai was born?" Joong smiles at the memory.
"Who could forget? Worst day of her little life," Dunk says with a laugh.
Joong's smile fades slightly. "She still struggles with sharing and responsibility as the oldest. She's... selfish sometimes. I worry about that as she gets older."
"Hey, we're doing our best to raise them right. That's all we can do. They'll be okay - just like we turned out okay even though our parents weren’t perfect." Dunk runs his palms slowly along Joong's back. "You worry too much, I don't worry enough. Perfect match, remember?"
Joong hugs him tighter. "Don't know what I'd do without you. You keep me sane."
"I love you," Dunk murmurs.
Joong sings it back, "I love you too, Dunk," his voice warm and light.
***
They shower together, changing into worn-in t-shirts and shorts, the kind that carry memories in their faded fabric. Their long-awaited evening begins with snacks piled between them, drinks sweating on coasters, and video games lighting up the living room with pixelated glow. They play side by side, knees knocking, elbows jostling, laughing so hard Dunk nearly spills his drink when Joong loses spectacularly.
Later, curled under a shared blanket, they marathon old horror films, yelling at jump scares, clinging to each other during tense scenes, dissolving into giggles when the effects show their age. By 2 a.m., they call it quits before someone’s blood pressure spikes, retreating to bed with matching yawns.
Freshly brushed teeth and soft pajamas later, they face each other in the dim light, knees tangled under the sheets.
"You know," Dunk starts, tracing idle circles on Joong’s wrist with a playful smile, "I’m relieved we still haven’t run out of things to talk about."
A grin spreads across Joong’s face, slow and sweet. "When we played games earlier, it felt like when we first met. Like no time had passed at all."
Dunk’s smile flickers, vulnerability peeking through. "Sometimes I worry we’ll get… lost. In the diapers and school runs and-"
Joong hushes him with a thumb brushing his cheekbone. "Parenting is exhausting. But…" He shifts closer, their breaths mingling. "I refuse to let us forget us. The way you still laugh with your whole body. How you like to smack my butt even in public." Dunk snorts, and Joong presses on, voice tender but firm. "When the kids grow up and leave-and they will-I still want to be the man who knows how you take your coffee, who remembers your weird obsession with that terrible horror movie soundtrack."
Dunk’s eyes glint in the dark. "You’re saying you’ll still love me when I’m old and boring?"
"I’m saying," Joong murmurs, closing the last inch between them, "there’s no version of you I won’t love." Their lips meet, soft and sure, a promise sealed in the quiet.
Later, curled around each other, Dunk whispers into Joong’s collarbone, "We’re gonna be okay."
Joong kisses his forehead, breathing him in. "We already are."
“I believe we have love-making plans tonight? Do you suppose we can manage without one or both of us falling asleep in the process?”
Joong answers by rolling atop Dunk, their lips meeting in a kiss that starts slow but deepens with years' worth of knowing. Hands find familiar places; hair, hips, the small of backs, as the last of their clothes slip away between breathless kisses.
When Joong pauses to look at him, it’s with a grin as he says, “At least let’s fall asleep trying.”
-END-