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Junior was awake before the small pup could jump on him. His eyes were closed and yet his arm shot out catching the small ball of mochi mid-leap. The action was habitual. He opened one of his eyes as the small body squirmed inside his firm but gentle grip. The chubby face transformed into a wide smile, showing off small white teeth and a giggle escaped the baby. He immediately put his index finger against his lips making the universal gesture of shhhh. And the pup complied, went still and limp in his palm, big eyes blinking at him innocently.
It almost brought tears to his eyes. So well-behaved, so smart, so beautiful, so kind, so...so like his husband, the love of his life.
He resisted the urge to smother and kiss the two people that made his life perfect and slid down the bed as slowly as he could. He didn't want to wake up his husband, after all they slept late last night. If he could spare an hour so that Mark could rest more, he was on it. He tucked the sheets in around the lump formed on the bed, making sure his sleeping one was snug and secure.
And then the father and son were off to the nursery. He looked down at the curled up ball of chubby and sighed in affection.
Mo was three years old now. Young enough to need supervision all the time, but old enough to climb out of his crib all on his own and come running to their bed whenever he wanted. It was getting more and more difficult to keep an eye on this little guy. The most terrifying times were when there was absolute silence in the house and they knew a headache was coming.
Last time the doom of silence happened, they found the little man in the pantry. The kitchen felt like it was covered in fine dust and the culprit responsible for it was caked in brown goo, a combination of nutella, honey, and any dry ingredients that were easily accessible to the small arms.
Do you know how difficult it is to get dried honey out of baby hair??? Especially when the baby is not very fond of bathing?
Well...he wouldn't know either but his husband was drenched from head to toe, and almost close to crying after an hour in the bath so he made a calculated guess that it must be damn difficult. It didn't help that the bathroom was now dirty, and their Mo was still not clean, splashing around in the tub.
But one thing he could say with utmost confidence was that vacuuming flour off every surface off the kitchen was one of the least favourite of his activities. He felt like he was still coughing it out even after a week!
After finishing up their morning clean-up routine, the father and the son headed towards the kitchen. He placed the baby on the kitchen counter and bent down at his waist, staring in those petal shaped eyes that were the exact copy of his beloved and couldn't help but smile wide.
"So chubby, what do we want to eat today?" His question fell on the small ears and the baby scrunched his face in displeasure.
"Mo no chubby." A milky voice spilled through the pouty lips. And as if to make his point the baby held up one chubby finger trying his best to shake it side to side, a gesture picked up from his husband surely. That made Junior laugh and he leaned forward kissing the tiny fingertip.
"But Mo chubby." He pinched the small fleshy belly and thighs. "No more pancakes for you."
The loud gasp of disbelief that left the tiny body was immediate. The small face went through multiple expressions in a second, finally settling on a pitiful one: eyes big and teary, cheeks red, and chin trembling.
"Tell Da no pancakes. Bad Daddy."
Junior's eyes sparkled at the childish outburst. He waited for a second more, and right before the tears spilled, he picked up Mo and cradled him closer, patting his back soothingly.
"Okay, okay. Pancakes for breakfast today."
He didn't want a full blown tantrum on his hands so early in the morning. If Mark woke up to a crying Mo, he'd be finished. It was a thin line between being a fun dad and an evil one. He toed that line every day, living on the edge and all that stuff.
"And tomowo." The small voice spoke in his neck making him sigh. Maybe he should dial back his tricks a bit, Mo was already walking down the path he walked every day and has started to use it against him as leverage.
This smart little rascal!
"Mm-hm. Tomorrow too." He agreed easily, too easily because tomorrow he was not on breakfast duty. So, it was not his mess to handle.
He seated Mo in a chair near the kitchen island where he could easily keep an eye on him while cooking and placed some fruit pieces in front of him to keep the child busy. He mixed the ingredients in a bowl, keeping an eye on the child who was kicking his feet and enjoying the banana. Then he set up the coffee machine so that when his beloved woke up, he would have a perfectly made cup of black coffee, bitter and strong, just the way Mark liked. He himself was a water guy so he never understood the urge to drink tar.
Mo was fond of pancakes and that was an understatement. If the dumpling could, he would eat them in all three meals. Sometimes, he wondered how exactly their Asian genes had went wrong that they created a child who didn't spare a single glance at rice. He hoped, prayed even, for that to change in the future.
He set aside the batter to rest for a few minutes. And in the meantime grabbed a glass of water for himself. He watched as Mo played with his food and finally acted on his urge to squish the two plump cheekies making the bun blubber in dissatisfaction, swatting him away.
"One labubu coming right up." Junior declared as he flipped the odd looking pancake onto a plate. His son was difficult to please, but easy to fool. Any ugly pancake could be called a labubu, the ugliest creation of the century, and Mo would happily eat it. He strategically placed chocolate chips and blueberries on the pancake giving it the loosest semblance of the toy and presented it with a flourish to the taste tester.
"No 'bubu."
For a second, Junior thought it was over for him. Maybe the bun has become smarter overnight. Wasn't it just yesterday he laughed for an hour at how Mo couldn't open a lid of the jar which he had purposely nailed shut? Kids really do grow up fast, huh?
But his worries were put to rest the next second when the bun shoved a piece of pancake in his mouth.
Mo was just a fool after all. Who he took that from he could never guess because both of the dads were smart.
He looked at Mo practically shoving his face in the plate and felt a wave of affection fill his chest. He kissed the small noggin and was immediately shooed away again.
By the time they were done with breakfast, Junior felt like had run a marathon. Maybe he wasn't as young anymore. He dressed up Mo for the school and that took away another chunk of his energy.
The kindergarten Mo was admitted to had a buggy system which meant his classmates and his teachers would be right outside in five minutes to pick him up.
"Mo, sweetie, hurry up. Or you're going to be late."
Junior was running towards the entrance with the bun dangling in his arms simultaneously keeping an eye on his phone. They were cutting it very close! That bath took longer than he expected it would. Damn it!
Mo was unbothered while his Daddy bullied his feet into colourful socks and then a pair of shoes. The little bun sighed looking at the frazzled state of his Daddy and shook his head.
Junior held the small half moon-shaped schoolbag in one hand and picked up the dressed up dumpling by the waist and ran outside to see a train of small buggies waiting.
"I am sorry, I am sorry." Words spilled out of Junior as he stuffed his child into the cart that was specifically his and arranged the bag in the front. "Be a good kid for Da and Dad. Learn something." He whispered into Mo's ear before patting his son who nodded solemnly.
"You are not that late today."
Junior smiled sheepishly at that. He waved a hand at the front, earning a nod from Joss who was pulling the carts today. That meant the other teacher was at the end, and judging him very hard.
"One would learn to read time by they become an adult but here you are."
The sarcasm made him laugh and he ran while passing by and waving to the other kids already seated in their designated carts. He paused and tried to fix Mafox's hair which went back to their chaotic state immediately after he smoothed it down. The kid's hair had a mind of its own and even his parents had given up on it at some point. He shook his head and sighed, moving on.
"Ah, Phi. I am sorry." He smiled and swung his arm on Newwiee's shoulders. "I did better today."
"Better, my-" Newwiee stopped himself from cursing as he realised they were surrounded by kids and pushed Junior away. "Go rest. I heard you two had a busy schedule the past few days."
Junior bid farewell to the group and headed inside. It was time to take a look at his beloved. The lump on the bed was just as he had left it, except the toes sticking out of the sheets. His darling had the habit of throwing away the sheets in slumber because his temperature ran on the warmer side.
Junior approached the other side of the bed slowly, eyes still rapt on those pink toes, perverted thoughts running a mile per second. He was just about to touch them when a sleepy voice croaked through the rumpled sheets.
"Whatever you are thinking, don't do it."
He stopped for a second, eyes blinking in contemplation before he slipped off his slippers and carefully crawled over the covered body.
"Good morning, sweetheart." He said in a soft voice while nuzzling the sheet. He distributed his weight properly and gently laid himself down.
"You're crushing me."
He chuckled at the whiny tone and nuzzled the sheet again adoringly.
"You like it."
And that's when Mark's face popped out of the sheets slowly: eyes groggy, lips extra pouty, and hair going in every direction possible. Absolutely beautiful. Utterly stunning. Drop dead gorgeous.
Junior blinked in awe. He was one lucky man, a very lucky man.
"Did I tell you that I love you today?" Junior straddled Mark, hands caressing the pale cheek that had wrinkles from the pillow. "I didn't yet, did I?" His fingers threaded through the silky brown strands, his fingertips slowly massaging the scalp here and there making Mark close his eyes in bliss. If Mark was a cat, his purrs would be the loudest right about now.
"Still waiting for Phi's daily confession." Mark's voice was the softest, like a kitten scratching lightly at Junior's heart with its paw.
Damn! He fell in love with this treasure of a man every day, all over again. He leaned closer to Mark, their noses brushing affectionately.
"You are the Moon, my Love. Unattainable and radiant. And I, a bystander that beholds my own ruin under your spell."
A wicked smile spread across Junior's face as the pale cheeks flushed pink right in front of him. Oh, he was so good at flirting.
"It is early in the morning." Mark's response made him chuckle and he rubbed his own cheek against the warmer one.
"And?"
"How are you even coming up with stuff like this?"
"You bring out the poet in me." Junior's cheeky response was enough to get a sigh out of Mark.
"You're impossible."
"Always." And Junior's lack of shame earned him a glare that held no heat whatsoever. "You adore the impossible me."
That Mark did, adored all the versions of his P’Ju. But he didn't say it because words were difficult for him; they strayed away from him when he needed them the most. Actions, on the other hand, were much easier, straightforward if you will. So, he pecked the cheek that was rubbing against him. Once, twice, a few more times.
Junior's vanity was satisfied as he took pride in undoing Mark at every chance he got. He competed with himself every day, to win his husband from himself. And today's Junior did very well, much better than the yesterday's where he dozed off even before they finished their cuddling session. He mentally flipped off his tired self.
Take that, sucker!
"Should we cuddle for a while? We don't need to go to work till in the afternoon." He offered. They were busy people, so it was only right for them to take advantage of whatever extra time they could get for themselves.
"Hm." Mark's sound of acceptance was pressed against Junior's Adam's apple. The latter slipped inside the sheets, his limbs automatically wrapping around the former as their bodies entwined in a comfortable position, both facing each other. Two pairs of legs slotted against each other and Junior's arms caged Mark's torso as his long fingers locked tight.
For a few breaths, the two relished in the skin contact silently. Their heartbeats synced into a perfect rhythm after a minute.
"Mo?" Mark asked even though he was well aware that their son wasn't home because if he had been, he would be cuddled between them, definitely kicking Junior in his stomach.
"Fed and sent off to school where he can give Newwiee a headache on my behalf."
Mark shook his head and scrunched Junior's t-shirt in his fingers. Both his boys were handful but he didn't mind it, in fact they made his life so much more joyful.
Junior was content, lying under the warm sheets with his lover peacefully while his son created chaos somewhere else. Life couldn't get any better than this.
~
Saturdays were Mo's favourite days out of all the days, right before Sundays and right after Fridays. Because Saturday meant no school. Yay! And Da was home the whole dayyyy. And...and he could see Daddy on TV. Although he didn't understand what Daddy said but he liked to watch him.
"One pancake for our Mo."
A plate was placed in front of him and he clapped his hands twice in joy as he saw how the pancake was shaped exactly the way he wanted it to look. His Dada was so pretty and smart and so good at drawing and cooking and singing and giving him kisses. His Daddy was too, good at giving him kisses and playing with him and telling him bedtime stories and tickling him. He loved them both but Daddy really didn't know how to make labubus.
"Daddy fool." Mo sighed with utmost seriousness. Good thing, he took a lot after his Dada.
Mark laughed, picking up his little man and nuzzled his nose against the squishy belly. "Let's not call Daddy names. He tries his best."
That was indeed true. His Daddy did try his best at everything and he wanted to do the same when he grew up. Dada said trying mattered the most. That's why he didn't feel bad when he forgot to learn a poem yesterday. He would try his best to learn it tomorrow. Or the day after. Or never.
He hugged his Dada, and asked for little kisses.