Chapter Text
The backyard smelled of charcoal and sweet marinade, the grill waiting patiently. Milk darted around with tongs, muttering about skewers, while Love calmly set plates on the table.
“Princess, you cut the veggies too big,” Milk said, peering at the platter.
“They’re fine. You just like finding something to nitpick,” Love replied, raising a brow.
Milk leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Maybe. But I like it best when you’re the one cutting.”
Love laughed softly. From the patio steps, Muvmuv hugged her knees, watching. Quiet, content, she always watched her moms—how easily they slipped between bickering and affection.
“Are they coming now?” she asked.
“Soon,” Milk said with a smile. “Lunar will probably sprint through the gate the moment we turn our backs.”
“And Any too?” Muvmuv tilted her head.
Love crouched beside her. “Yes, they’re all coming. You’ll have friends to play with today.”
“I’ll share my toys,” Muvmuv said seriously. “Even the good ones.”
Milk gasped dramatically. “Even the good ones? Lucky them!”
Love leaned against Milk, and Milk kissed her temple. Muvmuv’s chest warmed. Watching her moms love each other was her favorite thing.
“Sweetheart,” Love said, brushing a curl from her forehead, “remember what we talked about? Lunar and Any can be rough. Use your words if you need to.”
Muvmuv nodded. “What if they don’t listen?”
“Then come find us,” Milk said, kissing her hair. “You don’t have to handle everything alone.”
A sudden clatter at the gate made Muvmuv jump.
“Muvmuuuuuv!” Lunar shouted, barreling in like a tiny hurricane. She tripped, giggling, wiping snot on her hand before sprinting at Muvmuv.
“Sorry, sorry!” Namtan called breathlessly as she hurried in after Lunar, holding a paper bag of snacks. “She saw the open gate and bolted.”
“Lunar! Not the shoes!” Film shouted, chasing after her.
Namtan sighed. “She’s relentless.”
Film, hands on her hips, shot Lunar a look that went ignored. “You’d think we’ve never taught her about manners.”
Milk laughed from the grill, waving them over. “Manners? From Lunar? You two are aiming too high.”
“Hey!” Namtan pretended to pout, setting the bag on the table. “She has manners… sometimes. When she’s asleep.”
Any peeked out from Emi’s side, mismatched socks visible, as Bonnie carried a dish.
Milk whistled. “Oooh, the famous Bonnie potato salad. This barbecue has just been upgraded.”
Love gave them both a quick hug, murmuring warmly, “Thank you for bringing it. It smells amazing already.”
Emi grinned. “I’ll be the judge of that once she makes me a plate later.” Bonnie rolled her eyes, though the faint blush on her cheeks betrayed her.
Muvmuv froze as Lunar tackled her.
“Lunar! You’re squishing me!”
“Am not!” Lunar squealed, dashing off in circles.
Any edged closer, giggling, joining the chaos. “Now we’re all squished.”
From the table, the parents all looked up at the pile of giggling, half-arguing children.
Milk smirked. “Well, there’s our entertainment for the day.”
The adults settled into chatter, but the kids shifted to a new topic—parent sweetness.
“My moms are the sweetest,” Muvmuv declared proudly, chin tipped up. “They kiss all the time.”
Any tilted her head thoughtfully. “My moms hold hands a lot. And they cook together.”
Lunar snorted. “Ha! My moms always say ‘I love you’ in front of me. Like, every five minutes. That’s really sweet.”
Muvmuv crossed her arms. “Well, Mi Milk kissed Mami’s cheek while she was holding the tongs earlier. That’s talent.”
Any brightened. “Mami Bonnie kissed Mami Emi while she was still stirring the salad! That’s talent too!”
Lunar rolled her eyes dramatically. “Whatever. My moms win. They’re the cheesiest.”
The argument grew louder and sillier until the three of them suddenly froze, eyes lighting up with the same mischievous spark.
The three whispered conspiratorially.
“We should make them compete!” Lunar suggested.
Muvmuv gasped. “Like… a contest?”
“Yes!” Any agreed.
“Whoever shows the most love wins!” Muvmuv added.
Across the yard, the adults were busy laying out food and drinks, oblivious to the tiny panel of judges forming on the patio.
The three children exchanged conspiratorial nods, their earlier squabbles forgotten.
“Okay,” Lunar declared with a grin, “let the competition begin.”
The “Parent Sweetness Showdown” began.
The three little conspirators lined up on the patio steps, whispering like sports commentators.
“Round one,” Lunar whispered. “Let’s see what they do.”
At the table, Milk was setting skewers on the grill when Love slipped behind her, sliding her arms around her waist. Milk’s grin was instant. “Careful, princess, I’m armed with tongs.”
Love tiptoed to kiss her cheek. The kids all gasped.
“See?!” Muvmuv cried, bouncing. “Told you—they do that all the time!”
“Pfft,” Lunar said, though her eyes were wide. “It’s just a cheek kiss. Not that impressive.”
“Round two!” Any announced.
Bonnie was pouring lemonade into cups when Emi appeared at her side, plucked the cup away, and leaned down to kiss her square on the lips instead. Bonnie sputtered, cheeks turning pink, but Emi only grinned as if she’d won something.
The kids squealed. “Ooohhh!” Any sang, throwing her arms up. “That’s how you do it!”
Muvmuv frowned in thought. “But… Mi and Mami do more than that. Just wait.”
Lunar pointed dramatically. “Round three—my moms’ turn!”
Namtan and Film were arranging the snack table when Namtan, with no warning, lifted Film by the waist and spun her around once before setting her back down. Film shrieked, smacking her shoulder with a laugh. “Namtan! Not in front of everyone!”
The backyard erupted in laughter—except for the three kids, who cheered like a stadium crowd.
“Okay,” Lunar declared, hands on her hips. “That was epic. We win.”
“Nooo, my moms win!” Muvmuv countered. “They don’t need to show off, they’re just sweet all the time.”
“My moms win,” Any insisted, grinning. “They kiss like in movies!”
Their voices rose, each one growing louder with mock-seriousness until finally Milk noticed. “What are you three plotting over there?”
“Nothing!” they chorused.
But as soon as the adults turned back, the children huddled together again, whispering furiously.
“Next round,” Lunar said, eyes glittering. “We need to make them really try.”
The kids huddled close, whispering like secret agents.
“Okay,” Lunar said, eyes sharp. “Last round. Whoever does the biggest love move wins forever.”
“How do we make them?” Any asked.
Muvmuv raised her hand shyly. “We can ask for help… like pretend we need something and see what they do?”
The plan was set.
They darted back into the yard, spreading out like little actors.
“Mi! Mami!” Muvmuv called first, wobbling dramatically on the patio step. “I need help, I almost fell!”
Milk was there in two strides, scooping Muvmuv up with exaggerated care. Love followed close, cupping her daughter’s face.
“Oh no, are you okay?” she asked softly, then glanced at Milk. Their eyes met—so full of tenderness that Milk leaned in without thinking, planting a quick kiss on Love right there in front of Muvmuv.
The kids gasped.
“Not in front of the kids!” Love exclaimed, playfully slapping Milk’s shoulder. Milk grinned victoriously.
Muvmuv pretended to cover her eyes but peeked through her fingers, clearly entertained.
“Your lips are too inviting, princess,” Milk whispered into Love’s ear, making her blush
Next was Any’s turn. She tugged at Bonnie’s sleeve, pointing at the heavy salad bowl. “It’s too heavy, help!”
Bonnie moved to grab it, but Emi beat her to it, gently taking the bowl from Any and setting it aside. Then, without ceremony, she reached for Bonnie’s hand and kissed her knuckles with a smirk.
Bonnie flushed pink. “In front of the kids?”
“Let them see what romance looks like,” Emi replied smoothly.
The kids screamed like they were watching fireworks.
Finally, Lunar launched her own stunt—climbing halfway up the fence before shouting, “Moooom! I’m stuck!”
Film dropped everything, rushing over with Namtan right behind her. Together, they lifted Lunar down, laughing as she dangled dramatically.
“Your daughter is exactly like you—so dramatic,” Namtan teased.
“Oh really?” Film raised an eyebrow, hands on her hips.
“Just kidding,” Namtan laughed heartily, wrapping her arms around Lunar’s waist and planting a kiss on her forehead.
The three kids erupted into chaos—arguing at full volume about who had won.
“Mine did the best!”
“No, mine did!”
“Nooo, mine!”
The parents exchanged looks, realizing all at once. Namtan burst out laughing first, clutching her stomach. “Oh my god. They’re making us compete.”
Love covered her mouth, smiling. “You three…” she called gently, “is that what this was all about?”
Muvmuv froze. Any tried to hide behind her hands. Lunar, of course, announced proudly, “Yes! We wanted to see who was the sweetest!”
The backyard went quiet for half a beat—before every adult dissolved into laughter.
Milk wiped at her eyes. “Oh, that’s—actually kind of adorable.”
Bonnie pointed at the kids. “Well, joke’s on you three. All of us win.”
Milk pulled Love close and kissed her temple with a grin. Emi laced her fingers through Bonnie’s. Namtan hugged Film from behind, Lunar still dangling between them.
The kids groaned dramatically, collapsing into a heap together. “Nooo, that’s boring! Someone has to win!”
Love shook her head, smiling fondly. “That’s the point, little ones. Love isn’t a contest. We all win when we love each other.”
The yard softened into laughter again—children rolling in the grass, parents clinking glasses, the air full of warmth and smoke from the grill. The “competition” was over, but somehow, everyone still felt like they’d won.