Work Text:
aeternum (n.): always, forever, eternal
The small home was fairly quiet that evening. Kun was in his element, in the kitchen. His hands worked automatically upon instinct, chopping the garlic before him. His knife work was almost like muscle memory—moving with speed and ease, making some noises against the wooden chopping board. There’s nothing more rewarding than ending a day with good food, and Kun always strives to cook comforting food for his family. It’s not just the natural nurturing omega side of his, rather it’s something he enjoyed doing and would love to do even on the most tiring days. Tonight he was feeling like eating huo guo. The weather is a bit chilly today since autumn is going to fade into winter in no time. It’s soon going to be the time of the year when Kun takes out the UV B lamps for his precious plants collection.
Kun made sure to put extra mushrooms for the huo guo today, because that’s Chenle’s favorite thing. The said boy is enjoying his play time in the living room, and Kun could easily hear his soft hushed voice as he baby-talked their cats, reciprocated with soft meows every now and then.
Chenle was a constant bustling of energy, sometimes Kun wondered if the kid was really his. But take one look at the five-years-old boy and there’s no way denying that the kid was his. They have the same set of eyes, nose, and smile, and even face shape. They were both fair skinned, and they have the same jet black hair. Sometimes Johnny joked that Kun left no place for Johnny’s genetics to play a part in Chenle’s features, but to Kun’s defense, Chenle is obviously Johnny’s son as well. Their abounding energy was the striking similarity, as well as their penchant for sports. Kun would often find them playing at the front yard, Johnny teaching Chenle how to correctly dribble a basketball while their two cats watched curiously from the patio. Or when they run around the house making up their own silly tournaments. Or when they jumped and did flips on the trampoline in their yard, giving Kun mini heart attacks every single time.
Kun took a glance at the living room, smiling softly as he saw Chenle already had Bobo, their scottish fold cat, on his lap, while Nana, their ragdoll, snuggled close to his legs. Adopting those two cats was the best choice Kun and Johnny had ever made. Kun had never thought about adopting any animal. Johnny too. They thought they were busy enough raising a toddler, and adding another living being into their household was going to be nothing but an additional arduous task to add to their already packed daily life.
The reason for adopting the cats was actually depressing and nothing sort of happy. Kun had suffered from three consecutive miscarriages, and he was in a very bad mental headspace. He was wallowing in depression and all sorts of ugly feelings.
After having Chenle, both Johnny and Kun thought they'd be content with just him. Chenle's birth was difficult, and because he was born prematurely, he got sick very often. There were countless trips made to the ER and panicked phone calls to their pediatrician for the first two years of Chenle's life. Chenle's medical condition was enough to stop them from wanting to expand their family. Granted, Chenle got better over time. They were very grateful that Chenle had grown into a healthy and active child, but they were still cautious about him and they had made a collective decision to just give their utmost focus and care for him.
So imagine their surprise when Kun experienced his miscarriages. The first two times it happened, Kun didn’t even know he was pregnant in the first place. It just happened. There were no symptoms, no morning sickness, no bloating, no nothing whatsoever. He just woke up one day, bleeding from down there, confused and in pain. Trips made to the hospital told them that they were incidentally expecting, but those pregnancies were not strong enough to survive. Those times were disappointing, but there was virtually nothing that Johnny and him could do. None of them were planning for kids, but they were definitely not planning to lose them either.
The third time was easily the worst. That time, they were actually planning for a second kid because they saw all their friends having a second child, and they felt like Chenle was ready for a sibling. He was three and a half years old at that time, perfectly healthy with no medical conditions to worry about and old enough to be a big brother. Even Chenle himself was actually asking them if he could have a younger sibling like his friends.
Ten and Lucas had Yizhuo a year after Chenle was born. Sicheng and Yuta had an unplanned pregnancy just around the same time, but they cherished Eri’s birth nonetheless. Doyoung and Jaehyun finally decided to get married and officially mated, and it didn’t take long for them to have Sungchan and Minjeong, the cutest pair of twins Kun had ever seen.
Kun saw the jealousy in Chenle’s eyes whenever they gathered. He was touched as he saw Chenle treating the younger babies with utmost care and precaution, cooing and giggling at their cute actions. Chenle was a very affectionate child, and he likes making friends and being with people. They knew how much Chenle wanted a sibling of his own and the boy actively tried to show his parents that he was ready to be a big brother, so that's why Kun and Johnny eventually decided to plan for a second child.
It wasn't an easy process. Dr. Moon had warned them that a pregnancy would be risky since Chenle's birth was complicated and Kun has had two miscarriages as well; but they were willing to try. Well, Johnny was hesitant at first, but Kun assured him that they still should try and there's always a chance that things would work out for them. Kun is an omega, and it's his job to bear a child. He's built for it. He had done it once and was sure he could do it just one more time.
After months of hormonal injections and countless hospital visits, Kun was finally expecting. They were overjoyed. But the happiness didn’t last for that long. Turned out that things were really never going to work out for them in this case. This time, he had a missed abortion, and he remembered the fear and panic in Johnny’s eyes as they had to wheel in Kun for surgery to remove the barely growing baby from his stomach.
They supposed they should have known. Chenle was born prematurely because there was something wrong with Kun’s hormones due to his past suppressant use. The past miscarriages happened with the same reason, his hormones failed to protect the pregnancy. Dr. Moon made it very clear that day that they would probably have to be satisfied with just one son.
Both Kun and Johnny had it hard. There’s nothing that could pass the anguish of parents that just lost their kids three times in a row. Kun was devastated. Having to go through curettage and having his tubes ligated were not exactly a good experience. It was traumatizing and it hurted his pride. He's an omega! It was in his nature to carry offsprings but he only managed to have one! That was literally the main purpose of being an omega: to continue the family’s lineage. The fact that he was unable to fulfill that one crucial thing… Kun had never felt so much like a failure.
Johnny was not in a good shape either since he felt guilty and responsible for the whole situation. It wasn’t entirely his fault, but there’s no denying that Kun’s never-ending hormonal problems stemmed from the whole long-term suppressant use because Johnny refused to act as a proper mate in the past. He kept blaming himself, and it took several interventions from their friends and a couple therapy sessions for both him and Kun to get over the guilt and sadness.
But even the deepest of wounds will slowly heal.
It took some time before they fully got back on their feet. They decided to move out from their apartment for a fresh new start, this time to a small suburban house. They’ve been wanting to move out of their apartment anyway. Chenle was growing and he needed a bigger space. Kun and Johnny too—they need a space to feel better without the reminiscence of the dark times. When they found the nice small house, they were hooked immediately.
The neighborhood it was located in was nice, and it was fairly away from the hustle and bustle of the city but still within a reasonable range to Johnny’s office or Kun’s university. It was also pretty close to several schools so things will work out fine when Chenle grows big enough to go to school.
After the first couple of weeks since they moved in, they decided to look around and explore the new environment a bit. That’s when Kun first saw the advertisement for the local cat shelter and they decided to adopt Bobo and Nana. The two were of different breeds and they were both kittens at the time, kept in the same cage because the shelter was running out of space.
When they visited the shelter, they were pawing at their cage, meowing loudly. Chenle was the one who picked them out of curiosity, begging and coaxing them to adopt the kitties, and Kun and Johnny—who could not resist the deadly combination of Chenle's pout and two adorable kittens' purrs—finally welcomed the two cats home.
The two felines were Chenle's new siblings. It was a funny sight to see, Bobo and Nana following Chenle around like baby ducks. Wherever Chenle is, either one of them—although mostly both—would be seen with him. It was soon a common occurrence to see the two cats curling by Chenle's side protectively when the little boy napped. Chenle no longer feels sad about not having his own little brother or sister. In a way, the cats filled a void in Chenle's life. He talked to them, fed them, bathed them, brushed their fur, and even helped clip their nails. Bobo and Nana had somehow helped Kun and Johnny raise Chenle to be the cute responsible child he is.
Chenle wasn’t the only one benefitting from owning the cats. Johnny was the first one who joked about it. He said that they were actually adopting two therapy cats. Kun scoffed about it at first, but then he understood what Johnny meant. Nana was the more sensitive one. Every time she catches Kun spacing out or looking down, she’ll come slithering to his lap, kneading his tummy and purring, providing some sense of comfort. Bobo is also pretty similar. He can be quite indifferent compared to the other one, but if he senses him feeling sad, he’ll come and curl at Kun’s side, nudging his arms and licking his hand as if trying to groom him.
One and a half years had passed since that terrifying part of Kun and Johnny’s life, and they were slowly healing. It doesn’t matter if they only have one son. Chenle was more than enough. He was their miracle baby, their one and only. He was their little ray of sunshine, and Kun loved him more than anything in this world.
Kun glanced back at his son again, smiling gently. Chenle looked up and grinned at him, pointing at Bobo who’s sleeping soundly on his lap.
“Bobo’s sleeping?” Kun asked.
Chenle put his finger on his lips as if trying to tell Kun to be quiet. Kun giggled and nodded his head.
He decided to focus back on cooking, trying to finish preparing everything before Johnny comes home. His mate had to leave early today because he had to go on site in Bucheon. Johnny had to drive there himself so Kun knew the man would’ve been very tired when he got home, so Kun wanted to make sure Johnny could eat the warm meal as soon as he got home.
Kun hummed a song softly to himself, glancing periodically at the living room to see if Chenle needed him. So far, the little boy was comfortable and content by himself, cuddled up with his two feline siblings. Just then he heard the familiar click of the door, and the jingling of keys being dropped in the small ceramic bowl by the front door. He heard the thudding sound of shoes being taken off, and a holler of ‘I’m home!’ from the hallway. It didn’t take long before Chenle perked up, shocking poor Bobo and Nana as he ran excitedly to the front door.
“Dada’s here!”
Kun merely smiled as he heard Chenle’s excited giggles. Kun might be in the kitchen right now, but he could perfectly imagine the scene that’s currently happening. He could picture Johnny bending down, picking up their son with ease, and soon the two of them will be talking boisterously about God knows what. Judging from the shrieks echoing throughout the house, it’s probably happening right now. He could hear Chenle’s animated voice as he sloppily illustrated his day excitedly to his dad, and Kun could hear Johnny responding with equal enthusiasm. It warmed Kun’s heart that even at the end of his long tiring day of work, Johnny would still reserve some of his energy to entertain their son. Chenle was very happy to see his dad, and Kun chuckled as he heard his son stumbling between languages, his habit whenever he’s too excited or nervous about things.
“Now, now, Dada wanted to see his baobei first,” Kun heard Johnny say.
“But I’m here!”
Kun had to stifle his laughter when he heard Chenle exclaimed.
“My other baobei ,” Johnny said playfully.
Kun quickly put the mushrooms and vegetables on a plate as he heard the footsteps approaching.
“Oh, there he is!”
Kun pretended he could not hear Johnny’s voice as he poured the huo guo broth into a smaller pot so he could set it on the portable burner he had placed on the dining table.
“Hi, babe.”
Kun felt ridiculous that they’ve been together for a couple of years now, but his stomach still twirled around as he felt Johnny press a kiss to his temple.
“Hey,” Kun looked up with a smile. His heart did little flips as he saw Chenle perched on Johnny’s hips, arms locked around his dad’s neck. Chenle is five years old now, a little too big to still be carried, but Kun knew Johnny was too soft on his son to say no. And plus, Kun also liked to indulge his son every now and then while he still enjoyed being coddled.
“You didn’t teach at the campus today, right?” Johnny asked, curling his free arm around Kun’s waist.
“Nope. Had fun with Lele all day, right, baobei ?”
Chenle nodded, “So much fun with Ba ba ! Dada, we make cookies! Cookies! Ba ba said we can eat them after dinner!”
Kun nodded, unable to help himself from pinching Chenle’s chubby cheeks.
“Now, now, why don’t we set the table first, buddy? So we can eat dinner faster and we can enjoy the cookies you made with Ba ba faster?” Johnny asked, bouncing the boy slightly. Chenle beamed and quickly nodded, scrambling off of Johnny’s hold.
Johnny laughed and let him down, patting his head before the boy ran off to do his usual job of preparing the eating utensils.
“You’re making huo guo ?” Johnny asked, now wrapping both of his free arms around his omega’s waist, burying his face on the crook of Kun’s neck so he could enjoy the calming freesia scent the younger emitted. The pleasant smell of Kun's pheromone always comforted him after a long day of work.
“Mmm hmm. Isn’t it a little cold today? Thought you could use some warm food after a tiring day on site,” Kun said.
“You’re the best,” Johnny sighed, pressing a soft kiss on his neck that made Kun shudder a bit.
“Didn’t you say you were going to set the table? Go help your son,” Kun chided.
Johnny laughed, pressing another kiss to his head, “Alright, alright.”
Kun sighed and smiled as the dinner proceeded. He watched fondly as Johnny fed their son pieces of meat, Chenle giggling happily, entertaining his father. Chenle is old enough to feed himself with his training chopsticks, but Kun and Johnny always indulge in feeding him from time to time just to witness his crinkly-eyed smile and excited shrieks.
“Your Ba ba is the best chef in the world, don’t you think so?” Johnny said playfully.
Chenle nodded immediately, giving Kun two thumbs up. Kun felt his heart melting as he leaned forward to gently pat Chenle’s thick dark locks.
Once dinner was over, Chenle was super excited about making his Dad try the cookies.
“You help Ba ba with these?” Johnny asked as Chenle handed him a piece of chocolate chip cookies.
“Mm hmm! I help mix the cookies! Ba ba taught me how to crack eggs! I did it twice! By myself! Without Ba ba helping me!”
“You did?! That’s amazing, buddy! That’s my big boy, come on, give me a high five first!”
Chenle giggled, giving his dad a big high five.
“Okay, let me try the cookie now, hmm?” Johnny said, and Chenle watched his dad with hopeful eyes, beaming when Johnny made exaggerated responses about the taste.
“Chenle! You can be a chef like Ba ba too, I think!” Johnny grinned as he reached for a second piece of cookie.
Chenle giggled excitedly, “Wanna be like ba ba ,” he said as he turned to Kun, his eyes twinkling, looking at Kun with such admiration as if Kun hung the stars in the sky or something.
Kun shook his head in amusement, but deep inside he was deeply touched and his heart soared at the thought of Chenle growing up to be just like him. He wished Chenle would be much better than him though. Braver, smarter, more confident. Looking at the boy now, he’d be like that in the future—Kun is sure of that.
"Lele, come on, bath time," Kun called out.
He heard a loud and very much audible whine coming from his son.
He clucked his tongue as he saw Chenle clinging onto his dad, refusing to take a bath because he knew bath time equals sleep time and the kid just wants to spend more time with his dad.
"Look, baobei , it's already nine o'clock at night! You should take a bath, and then we can go to sleep. Didn't you say you want Dada to read you your bedtime story tonight?" Kun coaxed the little munchkin, only to be replied with a pout and another whine.
Much to his own distaste, Nana decided to abandon the cat wheel and jumped to the couch, curling on Chenle's lap, who's still perched at Johnny's lap. As if taunting his owner, Bobo meowed and climbed the couch, settling next to Johnny. The two cats swished their tails almost teasingly as Chenle and Johnny pet them.
These darn pets! On normal days, Kun would find the sight extremely cute. But tonight, he just wanted Chenle to take his bath and go to sleep on time. He doesn't want Chenle to wake up cranky tomorrow morning.
"Come on, Lele…"
"Still want to be with Dada," he mumbled, curling even further into his dad's embrace.
As if mocking, Nana purred, and Bobo flicked his tail. These menaces, Kun couldn't believe he was being ridiculed by his own pet cats.
Johnny, noticing his partner's exasperated expression, laughed as he patted Chenle's back.
"Come on, little bear. You have to bathe before bed.”
Chenle whined, curling further, shaking his head fervently.
"Don't you want to take a bath? The water will be warm and nice and bubbly. You love bubble baths," Johnny grinned, bopping his nose.
Chenle scrunched his nose, shaking his head again.
“Oh, come on, buddy. Dada hasn't taken a bath too, so maybe we could bathe together. What do you think?" Johnny offered, patting Chenle’s head, coaxing the little boy.
Kun let out a sigh when he saw Chenle's eyes twinkling. Yeah, it's good that Chenle would agree on taking a bath now, but having Johnny and Chenle sharing a bath time together means the master bathroom will be all wet and messy from whatever fairytale they decided to reenact inside the bath tub. Kun is not even one bit delighted of having to be the one to clean up after their mess.
"We can play with the duckies too!" Johnny added, ignoring Kun's pleading looks.
"Okay! Bath with Dada!"
Johnny cheered, lifting his son up as Kun groaned at the thought of having to clean and dry the bathroom later on.
"You'll be the one toweling the floor dry!" Kun shouted at Johnny's disappearing back, only receiving a chuckle in return.
While Johnny and Chenle wrecked the bathroom, there are still plenty of things to do that are way better than stressing over wet bathroom floors. Kun decided to wash the dishes first and foremost, taking his time to clean each pots and pans as well as the bowls and utensils as meticulously as possible. After making sure everything was stored in the drying rack and looking as sparkling as possible, Kun concluded the activity and moved to the next task in hand.
Johnny—thankfully—had the decency to put his shoes on the shoe rack and hung his coat properly, despite leaving his bag and drawing tube behind on the hallway. Kun guessed he dropped it when Chenle greeted him earlier when he got home, so Kun picked them up and set them on the coffee table. Kun looked around, spotting their cats snuggled together at the cat tower by the plant rack. He approached them to give them scratches before checking on his plants which were doing great, by the way. Maybe he’ll install the extra UV B lamps next week, since his collections are still thriving well with the current sunlight level. After making sure the living room is in a pristine condition, Kun turned around, ready to check on his husband and son. The two cats noticed him going away from them, so they hopped off, and followed him.
There was really nothing to do anymore, so Kun retreated to the master bedroom with the two cats tailing behind, and almost immediately, he could hear excited shrieks and laughter coming from the en suite bathroom. He curiously peeked inside, and a smile made its way into his lips.
Inside the bathtub, Johnny and Chenle were both half submerged, playing around with bubbles. At least both of them had shampoo on their hair and seemingly soap on their body. Kun doesn't know how much actual cleaning is involved but at the very least they have lathered the cleaning solution on their body.
"Don't play for too long. I don't want any of you to catch a cold," Kun chided softly as he took a seat on the closed toilet lid.
" Ba ba! Dada gave me a beard!" Chenle giggled, pointing at his foamy chin.
Kun can't help but laugh, and glanced at his husband who has horns made out of his hair and foam.
"And Lele gave me horns!"
Kun shook his head. Sometimes he wondered if he had a husband and a son or two sons instead. He took his time, just watching the two talk expressively to each other. It’s always heartwarming to see the father and son bonding closely. Once Chenle grows up, he would refuse being bathed like this, so both Kun and Johnny wanted to savor each passing second with their son.
After a few more minutes had passed, Kun concluded that it’s enough bath time and the two of them should probably get out of the tub before any of them got sick. It’s almost winter after all.
"I'll prepare your clothes, so don't take too long, okay? Both of you, and that includes you , Johnny," Kun glared at his husband who merely grinned.
Kun decided to leave the wet and sopping bathroom to start preparing their clothes. Thankfully, Johnny was being helpful so when Kun came back after getting Chenle's pajamas, Johnny was already out with their son who was giggling in his arms.
"Come here, you little monkey," Kun laughed, taking Chenle from Johnny's arms. The kid giggled, bundled up in his fluffy towel.
"And you, get dressed too. No one's allowed to catch a cold in this household," Kun said at his husband who was only having his towel wrapped around his waist.
"Will get to it right away, love. Thank you for preparing the clothes," Johnny smiled, pressing a kiss to his spouse's cheek before grabbing his clothes.
"And you, my tiny clown, we'll dry your hair and then you should go to sleep, okay?" Kun said as he helped Chenle button down his pajamas.
Life is busy when you're a father to a five year old, Kun thought as he grabbed a hair dryer and put his son on his lap to start drying his hair.
He hummed a song softly as he ran his hand through his son's thick locks, emitting his calming pheromone, and smiling when he noticed Chenle had already started to nod off.
By the time his hair was fully dried, Chenle was already very sleepy.
"Come here, sweety. Let's get you to bed," Johnny said, picking up his son who curled against his chest immediately.
"But… story?" Chenle peered up drowsily.
"Aren’t you sleepy already, bub?” Johnny raised a brow.
“Mmm, no. Story,” Chenle whined, fisting his dad’s shirt.
“Okay, okay. Just one story, hmm?"
Chenle nodded with a sleepy smile.
Kun smiled as Johnny started talking in a hushed voice, cradling his son while walking to his nursery.
Kun giggled as he saw Chenle struggling to keep his eyes open, insisting on hearing his dad's bedtime story until it's finished. But then, it didn't take long for Chenle to fully fall asleep, lulled easily with his dad's soft voice, rocking motion, and warm sandalwood scent.
"He's asleep," Kun whispered, rubbing Chenle's back softly as Johnny slowly rocked the sleeping child side to side.
"Mm hmm. But I still want to hold him for some more time," Johnny said.
Kun smiled, putting one hand on Johnny’s hip and the other still rubbing Chenle’s back as they sway side by side slowly as if they were waltzing, Kun’s soft lullaby serving as a makeshift background music. Johnny looked down, grinning before pressing another kiss on Chenle’s head, and smiled when Kun reached up to also kiss their son’s head, then proceeded to tiptoe so the two of them could also share a kiss between them.
It was a very tender moment, and Johnny savored it. Kun sighed into the kiss, and a smile graced both of their faces as they parted. It’s rare that they got some quiet and serene moment together like this, just the two of them awake, their little angel sleeping peacefully.
"He's growing up too fast for my liking," Johnny sighed.
"It's been five years. He's growing up really well despite his condition and all the things going around with us, so I'm glad and grateful," Kun smiled.
"Soon he will start going to school and he'll make friends and forget about us," Johnny whined.
"Oh god, you're being dramatic. Of course he will. I'd be sad if he didn't have any friends!"
"But still… Can you imagine him growing up and dating around?" Johnny frowned.
"Well, do you want him to be a nerd and a loner like I used to be?" Kun raised an eyebrow.
"Well, I mean, no… But… He's my baby and I don't want to part with him," Johnny sighed, nuzzling his cheek against the top of his son's head, taking a whiff of his baby scent. Johnny had several more years left before Chenle presented and started developing his own scent, so he wanted to ingrain the memory of his soft baby scent in the back of his brain before it’s gone.
"It's funny to see you being attached to Lele. Back then you ran away when you heard of me being pregnant," Kun chuckled.
"Hey! I was just shocked," Johnny pouted.
"I mean, it shocked me too. But look at Lele now. He's going to grow up really nicely."
"He will. He has us," Johnny grinned.
Kun nodded, a smile plastered on his face. Chenle has them. And Kun, he has him, and he has Johnny. The future will be alright as long as he has them. Chenle will grow up to be the finest boy out there, and he has two amazing parents by his side.
Although, on the other hand, good luck to Chenle's future mate because Chenle has two overbearing fathers to get through first.
It's been long since Chenle had been tucked into his bed, and yet Kun is still awake. He laid his head against Johnny's chest, the two of them talking softly about their day.
This is one of Kun's most favorite times of the day, when he got to be with Johnny and just talk and enjoy his warm presence and his rich alpha scent. It made Kun feel safe and content inside and it’s definitely the best way to end a long tiring day. It's also the perfect time to have a heart to heart talk and bond closer to each other.
"What are you thinking about?" Johnny asked when he noticed his husband being silent.
"Us," Kun answered truthfully.
"Us?"
"Yeah. Us."
"What do you mean?"
Kun looked up and smiled, "I mean, it's just… I'm so lucky I have you and Lele in my life, you know. Like, life turned out really well for me. You talked about being afraid of Chenle growing up and well, I'm worried about that too. But I'm more worried at the fact that time is ticking away too fast, that we're also getting old. There will be a time when I'm going to die and I'm going to leave the two of you behind. Or there's also a possibility that either one of you will go first. And I don't want that. I want to be with you and Lele forever, but that's impossible."
Johnny nodded, digesting the words slowly.
"That's understandable. I also feel that way sometimes. Sometimes when things are great, I just want to hit pause so I can savor the moment longer. I want to keep looking at you and Chenle smiling and being happy. As an alpha, nothing makes me happier than looking at my family being happy. I know I haven't been the best husband and father, I have my past mistakes and regrets, I'm still clumsy, and there's still a lot of things for me to learn and improve. But being with you and Chenle made me feel like I'm on top of the world."
"You're enough for us, Johnny. More than enough," Kun assured his husband.
"And you, too. I've learned that there's no way that I can do all the things in the world perfectly without a single flaw. It's just that, I wish I had more time. To make myself better for the people around me, and more time to look at the people I loved."
“Ah… I wish I could live forever…”
Johnny smiled, pressing a fleeting kiss on his husband’s forehead, “Sometimes I wished for the same thing. I’d love to live forever, but only if I have you and Lele with me.”
“That’s… Yeah. Exactly. I mean, forever sounds ideal when I have both of you with me. Living eternally only by myself sounds awful. The thought of the two of you leaving me scared me the most,” Kun said softly.
"I’m never leaving you. So, Kun.. Don't ever leave me, okay?"
"Of course, I won't. You too, okay? Don't give up on me and Lele."
"Never. You have my words."
"Good. Now let's sleep?"
"Mm hmm. Let’s—”
A loud cry interrupts their moment. Kun sat up immediately in panic. His parent instinct flared up. That’s Chenle’s cry.
Johnny was quick to rise from bed and run towards their son’s nursery, finding the boy sniffling on his bed.
“Oh, poor baby. What’s wrong, sweetie?” Johnny asked, quickly scooping the boy up into his arms.
“D-dada?”
“Dada’s here. Ssh…” Johnny shushed the toddler, patting his back as the little boy hiccuped.
“Don’t go… Want dada and Ba ba ,” Chenle cried softly.
“I’m going nowhere, love. Dada’s here, and Ba ba will come shortly.”
“What’s wrong, baobei ? Bad dream?” Kun asked as he finally came inside the nursery.
The boy nodded, snuggling against his dad’s neck, chasing the protective alpha pheromone that made him feel safe. Johnny happily emitted more, the whole room smelled like sandalwood, calming the poor little child.
“What are you dreaming about, hmm?” Kun rubbed his back. The scent of freesia slowly mingled in, and Chenle sighed, relaxing little by little.
“ B-ba ba and d-dada go. Far.”
“Oh, dear… We’re going nowhere, baobei . It was just a nasty dream. Look, we’re here, aren’t we?” Kun said assuringly.
The toddler nodded.
“Want to sleep with ba ba and dada tonight then?” Johnny offered, and he was quickly met with nods against his neck.
“Alright. Let’s get you to bed,” Johnny said as Kun came closer, wiping Chenle’s face from all the tears and snot.
It took a few words of encouragement before Chenle finally settled down between the two of them. Johnny patted the kid’s tummy, sighing in relief when his son finally went to sleep.
“He’s already asleep. You should sleep too. You must’ve been tired,” Kun whispered.
Johnny nodded, “You too. Sleep well, love.”
Kun smiled and nodded back.
It didn’t take long for Johnny to follow Chenle to a peaceful sleep.
Kun smiled. He glanced at the corner of their bedroom, where Nana is curled on her bed while Bobo made himself comfortable on top of the laundry basket.
Johnny looked slightly ridiculous with his messy hair and face squished against his pillow, and Chenle was sleeping with his little mouth slightly agape, a drool escaping on the left side which Kun quickly wiped away. One of their cats was snoring (most probably Bobo) and the other one was purring in its sleep (definitely Nana). Kun loved this sight. Kun loved them.
To be able to reach this point of his life was something Kun would always be thankful for. It wasn’t easy by any means. Johnny and him had gone through a lot of trials and tribulations in their marriage. There were so many ups and downs, many sad and devastating moments alongside joyful and happy events. Life is always going to be an endless roller coaster ride for him and his family, but Kun is going to enjoy every single second of it. He’s going to be grateful for the good and happy times, and he’s going to take lessons from the bad and sad times, hoping those downsides will make his relationship with Johnny and Chenle even stronger, sturdier, and everlasting.
Kun sighed contently, pulling Chenle’s blanket higher to cover his body, before pressing a kiss on his tiny nose, smiling when his son scrunched his nose. Kun scooted closer, putting his hand on top of Johnny’s who had a protective arm around Chenle’s body, before closing his eyes and succumbing to sleep himself.
Kun wished he could live forever like this. He’s greedy just like that. But he knew, humans are mere mortals, and he’ll die one day just like every other person. But for now, he wanted to seize and savor the time he has. With his perfect little family and all of their imperfections included.
Life on earth may have an end to them, but happiness and contentment… they’re eternal.