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Hoseok was awakened when he felt a weight on his body. He grunted, thinking it was Hyunwoo trying to give him ‘morning attack’, but it was impossible because Hyunwoo wasn’t that light. Soon, his sense sharpened and he quickly opened his eyes. Worries were shown in his face when he found one of his kids, Minhyuk, lying on top of him, tiny hands gripping on his shoulders.
“Min, baby, are you okay?” he asked worriedly as he pulled the 4-year-old kid into his embrace. He palmed the kid’s forehead, frowning as Minhyuk’s skin felt feverishly hot under his hand. “Puppy, you caught a fever!”
Minhyuk whined softly and snuggled closer to him. “Daddy, I don’t feel good,” he said, voice a bit hoarse.
“Does your throat hurt?” Hoseok asked again and Minhyuk nodded. “Alright, Daddy will get something to make you feel better. You wait here with Papa, okay?”
Again, Minhyuk nodded. He climbed off of Hoseok and went to Hyunwoo, lying on top of him—Hoseok chuckled at Minhyuk’s cute habit of lying on people’s body. The kid’s action woke Hyunwoo up, and he threw a confused stare to Hoseok, who only mouthed “he’s sick”.
Hoseok got up, shivering as cold air touched his skin. He went to the kids’ shared room first through the half-open connecting door, checking on Kihyun. Their youngest kid—though he was only 19 days younger than Minhyuk—was still asleep when Hoseok sat on the edge of his bed and put his hand on Kihyun’s forehead. It seemed Kihyun’s temperature was normal, so that meant he should stay away from Minhyuk until the eldest kid got better.
Hoseok sighed; it wouldn’t be easy to separate these two. They might not be twins, but they were almost inseparable—Kihyun would cry a lot if he couldn’t get near Minhyuk and vice versa, but it couldn’t be helped, Hoseok didn’t want him to get sick, too.
After once again making sure that Kihyun didn’t catch a fever, Hoseok tiptoeing back to his room with Hyunwoo and going to the bathroom, where they had their first aid kit. He exhaled in relief that they still had one fever patch left, or else he should go to buy it, and it was like 5 AM, and the nearest 24/7 drugstore was three blocks away from their apartment.
“We should bring him to a doctor,” Hyunwoo said when Hoseok stuck the patch on Minhyuk’s forehead. “I think his temperature is a little bit too high.”
Hoseok agreed as he stroked Minhyuk’s hair. His heart hurt to see their son sleeping restlessly because of his fever. He kept whining and Hyunwoo should cradle him and pat his small back, the least he could do to help Minhyuk sleep soundly.
Hoseok didn’t know he fell asleep until two hours later, he snapped by Kihyun’s weeping. Hyunwoo was still sleeping with Minhyuk hugging his neck, and he knew Minhyuk wouldn’t let go of his papa, so he was the one who should get up and comfort Kihyun before their youngest son’s voice woke his brother up.
“Kihyunnie?” Hoseok rushed into the kids’ room and quickly embraced the crying Kihyun. “Ssh, ssh, baby, what’s going on?”
“Minhyukkie!” Kihyun sobbed, “Minhyukkie’s gone! Someone took Minhyukkie away!”
“Honey, Minhyukkie isn’t gone,” Hoseok petted Kihyun’s head. “Minhyukkie is with Papa. He’s sick, so he needs Papa to take care of him.”
Kihyun looked up to Hoseok, face showing fear blending with worries. “Minhyukkie is sick?”
“Yes, Minhyukkie has a fever, so you can’t play with him today,” Hoseok answered as he wiped the tears from Kihyun’s cute eyes.
Hoseok should’ve expected that it would make Kihyun cry more.
“Minhyukkiiie~!” Kihyun wailed. “Daddy, I want Minhyukkie! I want Minhyukkie!”
It seemed Kihyun had woken the entire apartment because in a second, Hyunwoo had dashed into the room, Minhyuk sobbing in his arms.
“What happened? Is Kihyun sick, too?” he asked worriedly.
“Kihyunnie wants Minhyukkie,” Hoseok carried Kihyun and walked toward Hyunwoo and Minhyuk. “He thought someone took Minhyuk away, and when I explained that Minhyuk is sick and they can’t play together today, he cried even louder.”
Hyunwoo chuckled at what Hoseok had just said. “We don’t want you to get sick, Kihyunnie,” he said, but, of course, Kihyun didn’t want to listen.
“Minhyukkie,” Kihyun called for his brother between his sobs; his chubby hand reached to pat Minhyuk’s head. “Minhyukkie, are you sick?”
Minhyuk squirmed in Hyunwoo’s arms, wanting to hug his brother and cuddle, but Hyunwoo held him, not letting him get closer to Kihyun. “Kihyunnie,” he cried, “Kihyunnie!”
Hoseok didn’t have any other choice but to take Kihyun for his morning walk while Hyunwoo was getting ready to take Minhyuk to the doctor, even though Kihyun kept crying and crying because Minhyuk couldn’t join him and Daddy this time. He got calmer when they reached the park and Hoseok sat on the swing with him on his lap, but small sobs were still heard from him.
“Are you okay, honey?” Hoseok held Kihyun’s tiny hands and the kid automatically held it back (though he could only hold Hoseok’s index and middle fingers).
Kihyun hummed, playing with his daddy’s fingers. “I want to play with Minhyukkie,” he said, half-whining. “Daddy, I miss Minhyukkie.”
“Daddy misses Minhyukkie, too,” The blond smiled, bending down to press a kiss on the crown of Kihyun’s head. “Minhyukkie misses us, too.”
“Minhyukkie does?”
“Minhyukkie does,” Gently, Hoseok turned Kihyun’s small body, so now they could see each other’s faces. “But, Minhyukkie doesn’t feel good today. Minhyukkie needs to be taken care. So, we should wait for Papa and the doctor shooing away his fever, so he will be healthy again, okay? If he’s already healthy, you can play with him again.”
Kihyun’s eyes got teary once again, but he didn’t cry. He nodded and snuggled to Hoseok, and Hoseok drew him closer to his chest.
Despite the heartbreaking sight of Kihyun and Minhyuk crying, Hoseok should say that he was happy to see them like that. He still remembered that half a year ago, when they adopted Minhyuk, Kihyun hated his brother so much because he thought Minhyuk would snatch his papa and daddy away from him. But now, he could see how they loved and needed each other, and it warmed his heart.
Twenty minutes later, Hoseok received a short text from Hyunwoo, telling that he’d been on the way to take Minhyuk to the doctor, and Hoseok and Kihyun could get back to the apartment.
“Kihyunnie,” Hoseok called for his son, who now was busy with the slide, “Daddy wants to make something for Minhyuk to make him feel better after going to the doctor. Do you want to help Daddy?”
Kihyun nodded eagerly. He ran to Hoseok and hugged his daddy’s legs, and Hoseok laughed at Kihyun’s cuteness. He stretched his arm and Kihyun held his fingers.
“Let’s cook Minhyuk’s favorite chicken soup, and after that we will make warm orange water with honey, okay?”
“Okay!”
As they walked back to their apartment, smile never left Hoseok’s face.
+
Hyunwoo and Minhyuk went back a few hours later, when Hoseok and Kihyun had just done cooking the chicken soup. Kihyun gasped and pulled Hoseok by his pants when the child heard the front door open.
“Papa! Papa!” Kihyun’s short legs moved as quickly as they could to welcome Hyunwoo and Minhyuk, and Hyunwoo laughed when Kihyun ran to him with sparkling, excited eyes. “How is Minhyukkie? Is Minhyukkie healthy already? Can we play now?”
“Minhyukkie is getting better, but now he’s sleeping,” Hyunwoo ruffled Kihyun’s hair. He then smiled to Hoseok, who just appeared from the kitchen. “Hey, babe, everything’s okay?”
“Yeah,” Hoseok answered, pecking his partner on the lips before taking Minhyuk from Hyunwoo’s arms carefully. “How is he?”
“Nothing’s serious. If he gets enough rest and takes his meds, he should be better tomorrow,” Hyunwoo squatted down and let Kihyun climbed on his back; Kihyun laughed when he piggybacked him and started jogging around the living room.
“Papa, I helped Daddy cooking chicken soup for Minhyukkie!” Kihyun reported. “We will make warm orange water with honey, too! Minhyukkie will be healthy soon, right, Daddy?”
“How about making the orange water with Papa while Minhyukkie eats the soup, kitten?” Hoseok said from his and Hyunwoo’s room—Minhyuk would sleep with them until he recovered, so Kihyun wouldn’t be infected. “So, Minhyukkie can drink it after eating.”
He could hear Kihyun yelling happily and Hyunwoo chuckling because their youngest son was just so cute.
“Daddy,” A small, raspy voice called him, making Hoseok move his stare down to the kid who lay on his bed.
“Hello, pup,” Hoseok smiled softly. “How are you feeling, baby? The doctor didn’t hurt you, right?”
“Auntie Doctor gave me a puppy sticker,” Minhyuk answered, showing two stickers that seemed to have been held since he was still at the doctor, “and a hamster sticker because I said Kihyunnie likes hamsters.”
“Really? She was so kind, she gave Kihyunnie a sticker, too,” Hoseok pinched Minhyuk’s cheek gently. “You were so kind too; you never forget what Kihyunnie likes.”
Minhyuk nodded—from his smile, Hoseok could guess that he was proud of himself, and Hoseok was proud of him, too. Minhyuk was always like that; he would never let Kihyun feel bad for not having what he had.
“Now, Minhyukkie, you should eat, okay? Daddy and Kihyunnie have cooked your favorite chicken soup,” he patted Minhyuk’s head. He went to get a bowl of said soup for Minhyuk, and when he was back, Minhyuk had sat up on his bed, waiting to be fed.
“Say aaah,” Hoseok made sure that the soup was warm enough before feeding it to Minhyuk. “Is it good?”
“It’s good,” Minhyuk said while munching a slice of chicken. “Kihyunnie made this, too?”
“Kihyunnie did, that’s why it tastes so good.”
Minhyuk beamed cutely, causing Hoseok to internally squeal because his son was so sweet. The boy ate heartily and Hoseok knew it was because he knew his favorite Kihyun also made the soup for him.
Minhyuk had eaten all his meal when Hyunwoo opened the door and Kihyun burst into the room, a sippy cup full of warm orange water with honey in his chubby hands. “Minhyukkie!” He stomped his little feet as he looked at Hoseok, wanting his daddy to pick him up because he couldn’t climb up the bed when his hands were busy holding the cup. “Minhyukkie! Papa and I made this for you!”
Minhyuk looked so happy when Kihyun gave the sippy cup to him. He laughed and drank the orange water immediately, making soft noises when the warm and sweet drink touched his tongue. Meanwhile, Kihyun watched his brother drinking in anticipation, hoping Minhyukkie liked it.
“Minhyukkie,” Kihyun rubbed his brother’s head while the eldest was still drinking, not wanting to let go of his sippy cup because the orange water Kihyunnie made with Papa was sooo delicious. “Are you getting better now?”
Minhyuk nodded and leaned to hug Kihyun. He stayed like that, and Kihyun didn’t mind at all. He ran his small hand along Minhyuk’s hair; his other arm circled around Minhyuk’s shoulder protectively.
Soon enough, both of them started blinking, twice then thrice, telling Hoseok that they were getting sleepy. Hoseok gestured to Hyunwoo, who was standing at the door, watching their sons’ closeness, to stay with Minhyuk while he tucked Kihyun to bed. Kihyun didn’t resist when Hoseok pulled him away from Minhyuk, as though he’d already known that if he wanted to play with Minhyuk, he should listen to what Papa and Daddy said.
“Make sure Minhyuk drink the meds before sleeping, Hyunwoo,” Hoseok said in a low voice, and Hyunwoo nodded. Hoseok still could hear Minhyuk asking where Daddy would bring Kihyun, and Hyunwoo explained patiently that they couldn’t sleep together yet, not until Minhyuk’s illness was gone.
“Daddy,” Kihyun called when he’d been lying on his own bed, blanket wrapping his small body comfortably. “Will Minhyukkie be healthy when we wake up?”
Hoseok stroked Kihyun’s hair fondly. “He won’t be healthy after taking a nap, kitten,” he answered, “but Daddy is sure that he will be healthy tomorrow, and you can play with him again.”
Kihyunnie looked disappointed, but he didn’t complain—maybe he was too sleepy to whine because soon after that, he’d already fallen into deep slumber. His sleeping face was like an angel, and Hoseok melted at the sight. He kissed Kihyun’s forehead gently before exiting the room quietly.
Hyunwoo was sitting on the couch when he entered the living room. Hoseok plopped down beside him, sighing tiredly.
“Just when I thought we could have a peaceful Saturday,” the blond said. He grabbed the TV remote and turned the TV on, searching for a program that could calm him after a hectic day—it was even only half a day and he felt like his energy was drained completely with the boys’ crying and all.
“Look at the bright side,” Hyunwoo said calmly. “Kihyun cried because he was worried of Minhyuk getting sick. Half a year ago, the sole reason behind Kihyun’s weeping was because he thought Minhyuk wanted to steal us from him.”
“And, Minhyuk would only cry because Kihyun hit his head with toys,” Hoseok chuckled.
“Kihyun was so scary back then,” Hyunwoo grimaced as he replayed the scene where Kihyun hit Minhyuk’s head with a toy car, causing Minhyuk to get a blister on his forehead, and it was horrifying, “but he’s like Minhyuk’s protector now—sometimes he’s a little bit too protective, though. Remember when he bit my hand because he thought I made Minhyuk cry last week?”
Hoseok couldn’t help but laugh. Hyunwoo was right; Kihyun was too protective toward Minhyuk. He would fight anyone who hurt his brother, even though it was his own dad.
“Don’t laugh, you don’t know how he’s hurt my feelings,” Hyunwoo made a face like he’d been hurt badly, but it only made Hoseok laugh even more, causing chuckles to slip from Hyunwoo’s lips.
“They’re inseparable now, though,” Hoseok said as the laughter slowly died. “They protect each other, so there’s nothing to be worried anymore.”
“Except when one of them catches a fever and sneaks into our room, and the other will cry loudly, thinking his brother is kidnapped or something.”
Once again, Hoseok burst into laughter.
+
There were soft, cute whispers in Hoseok’s ears.
“Minhyukkie, don’t wake Daddy up!”
“But, you said you wanted to play with Daddy!”
“Then wake Daddy up veeery quietly!”
“Daddy wouldn’t wake up if we did it veeery quietly!”
Hoseok couldn’t stop a smile from curling on his lips. He opened his eyes and saw his sons whispering to each other, debating how they should wake him up. So, silently, Hoseok extended his arms and caught the boys by their waists, earning himself screams that were followed by high-pitched giggles.
“Daddy!” Hoseok laughed when Minhyuk and Kihyun jumped into him, draping their tiny arms around his neck.
“Daddy, Minhyukkie is healthy now!” Kihyun exclaimed happily. “Now we can play together, right, Daddy?”
“Really? Minhyukkie isn’t sick anymore?” Untangling himself from the boys, he cupped Minhyuk’s cheeks and pressed their foreheads together. “Hmm, I think you’re right. The fever is gone. Does your throat still hurt, Minhyukkie?”
Minhyuk shook his head vigorously. “Minhyukkie is healthy already!” he said with a wide grin on his cute face. “Minhyukkie can play with Kihyunnie again now!”
“Yes, yes, puppy, you can play with Kihyunnie now.”
It was like a cue for Minhyuk and Kihyun to shriek and quickly get off of the bed, going outside, probably to their playroom. Hoseok watched them leaving the room with a smile on his face before throwing his body back to bed—the clock on their wall said 5:30 AM, too early to get up on Sunday morning. He appreciated Kihyun’s effort to get up early and check on his brother’s condition, and Minhyuk was willing to wake up, even though usually it took an hour to wake him up.
“They’ve been awake?” Hoseok turned to his side when he heard Hyunwoo’s sleepy voice. “It’s still early and they’ve been awake?”
“They couldn’t wait to play together,” Hoseok laughed lightly when Hyunwoo pulled him to a warm embrace; he let his lover nuzzle his face into his neck.
“We don’t have to get up now, do we?” Hyunwoo asked, obviously still wanting to sleep for at least one more hour.
“We don’t have to,” Hoseok replied. He kissed Hyunwoo’s head, burying his nose into Hyunwoo’s black hair, inhaling the earthy scent he always loved deeply. “Let’s go back to sleep, babe.”
(An hour later, loud noises were heard from the kitchen and Hoseok’s eyes shot open.
“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath as he pushed Hyunwoo’s arm away from his waist and got up. “Don’t say they’re trying to make breakfast. Kids? KIDS! PLEASE DON’T BURN DADDY’S KITCHEN!”)