home sweet home

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/33547444.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: M/M
Fandom: ASTRO (Band)
Relationship: Kim Myungjun | MJ/Park Jinwoo | Jin Jin, Lee Dongmin | Cha
Eunwoo/Moon Bin, Park Minhyuk | Rocky/Yoon Sanha
Character: Kim Myungjun | MJ, Park Jinwoo | Jin Jin, Lee Dongmin | Cha Eunwoo,
Moon Bin, Park Minhyuk | Rocky, Yoon Sanha, Original Characters
Additional Tags: Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Romance, Domestic Fluff, Domestic,
Married Couple, Married Life, Magic, Alternate Universe - Magic,
Witches, Necromancy
Series: Part 5 of magic users
Stats: Published: 2021-08-29 Completed: 2021-11-27 Chapters: 7/7 Words:
10320

home sweet home

by vonseal

Summary

myungjun and jinwoo traverse life as parents, husbands, and magic users.
 Chapter 1
Chapter Notes

as per usual, my birthday fic is late. STILL, JOIN ME IN WISHING HAPPY BDAY
TO AROHANA!!! i hope i can make your day brighter with a bit of myungjin
domestic fluff! AND THERE IS MORE TO COME bc i never finish things on time lol

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Babies were hard work.

Myungjun knew as much going into this. He knew what he was getting himself into when he chose
parenthood as his new course in life. He had read plenty of parenting books and spoken with other
parents about their experience. The first thing everyone told him was, “You won’t ever sleep.”

Myungjun believed it, one-hundred percent.

He hadn’t had a good night’s rest in days . The night was filled with constant crying and wailing
from the nursery, and Myungjun trudged over each and every time to assess his child’s needs.
Sometimes a diaper needed changing, sometimes a blanket was bunched up toward the end of the
bed, and sometimes Woojin just liked to scream.

“Woojin, please don’t,” Myungmum muttered groggily. His own voice was reduced to but a small
buzz in the room compared to Woojin’s loud vocals. The boy had a set of lungs on him, that was
for sure, and Myungjun was certain he was going to soon be deaf.

Woojin didn’t hear his request; even if he had, he wouldn’t heed it.

Myungjun picked up the tiny baby, holding him close to his chest. He bounced the boy up and
down in his arms a few times and patted his back. Nothing was helping. “Are you hungry?”
Myungjun asked. “Is that what this is? You hungry?”

So he tried to feed Woojin. He stood in the kitchen, Woojin screaming in his arms, and heated up
some milk. Once it was cool enough, he pushed the nip of the bottle to Woojin’s lips, but the boy
refused to accept it. He thrashed in Myungjun’s arms, crying for something else.

Myungjun felt defeated.

“What do you want?” he asked the baby, helpless. “I don’t know what you want me to do,
Woojin!”

Woojin could not give him any answers. He just cried and cried, and Myungjun, exhausted and
upset and utterly hopeless, cried with him.

He sat on the floor in the kitchen, cradling Woojin in his arms and sobbing over this tiny child, and
that was how Jinwoo found them.

He had to work late, still wrapping up an important case for the department. Myungjun felt bad;
usually, things were normal when Jinwoo came home late. Myungjun took care of Woojin himself
and made certain Jinwoo didn’t hear a peep of noise. Now, though, Jinwoo peeked into the kitchen
and Myungjun glanced up at him with bloodshot eyes and tears rolling down his cheeks.

Jinwoo hurried forward, dropping his briefcase as he rushed to his husband and son. “Junnie,
what’s wrong?” he asked, crouching in front of Myungjun. “Here, let me take Woojin-”

“No!” Myungjun cried out, keeping a tight hold onto the baby. “Y-Y-You need to go t-to sleep!”

“Honey, I’m fine. How much have you slept in the past few days, though?”

Myungjun didn’t answer him. Myungjun continued to cry, dipping his head onto Jinwoo’s shoulder
and resting it there for a few seconds.

At this point, he felt as if he could fall asleep despite Woojin’s screeching and wailing. He was so
tired , and he longed to cuddle up with Jinwoo and allow sleep to overwhelm his body. He could
ignore his baby’s cries and his husband’s concerns as long as he could just get the chance to sleep.

Jinwoo’s hands wiped away Myungjun’s tears. His hands were always so gentle and soft.
Myungjun sometimes longed to go back to the days where they were boyfriends, where they had
worries and concerns but they could still at least sleep normally without a baby waking them up
every hour or so. Their lives had always been hard, but this seemed harder than anything Myungjun
ever had to do.

“Seriously,” Jinwoo murmured, “let me hold him.”

Woojin thrashed about in Myungjun’s arms, and though Myungjun wanted so desperately to tell
Jinwoo no , he found himself relenting to Jinwoo’s calm and easy voice. He was alluring in a way
that made Myungjun listen to his commands.

It was a spell, most likely. That had to be the only explanation as to why Myungjun handed Woojin
over so easily.

Once Woojin was in Jinwoo’s arms, Jinwoo cooed at him and kissed his red forehead.

“You need to be quiet, baby,” he whispered. “Your dad hasn’t slept in days, I think.”

Myungjun moaned and closed his eyes. “Weeks,” he corrected.

“And why haven’t you said anything?”

It was difficult to listen to Jinwoo, what with a baby screaming loudly in their ears. Still, Myungjun
heard Jinwoo’s every word, and he struggled to rationalize his thoughts.

“You’re busy. I’m just...I’m home all the time now. I have to care for him. You need to work, and
to work you need to sleep, and to sleep you need...to not hear him.”

“When we adopted a child, it was with the understanding that we were adopting a child together ,”
Jinwoo replied. “You shouldn’t have to do this all on your own. I’m here to assist you, and if you
do it on your own...it won’t be a joint effort. We adopted Woojin together, and we ought to raise
him together, as well.”

Jinwoo made sense, but Myungjun clung to his belief of remaining the stay-at-home father.

“But you need sleep more than I do!”

“Seriously?” Jinwoo sighed and kissed Myungjun’s cheek. “You’re caring for a child, for a human
life. I think that’s as important, if not more important, than what I do. And if you’re sleep-deprived
and falling apart like this, you can’t care for him as well.”

Once again, Jinwoo made perfect sense. What he said was true, and Myungjun knew he needed to
stop martyring himself when he had a wonderful husband to rely on.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured.

Jinwoo kissed him again, smiling warmly at Myungjun. “Don’t apologize, sweetheart. It’s fine.
Now we both know to lean on each other a bit more, yeah?” He bounced Woojin in his lap. Still,
Woojin continued to yell. “This kid’s got a set of lungs on him. I think he gets it from you.”

Myungjun snorted and Jinwoo whispered a few words into Woojin’s ear, and then waved his
fingers. Almost instantly, Woojin’s voice quieted and his thrashing ceased. He was beginning to
drift off into a peaceful slumber.

“Oh,” Myungjun muttered, brushing his child’s bangs aside. “Jinwoo, I didn’t want--”

“I know,” Jinwoo replied. “You don’t want me performing magic on our child.”

Myungjun felt guilty for voicing his concerns. “It’s not that I don’t trust you,” he said. “Because I
do. I trust you fully and completely. I don’t think Woojin could ask for a better father than you.”

“Well--”

“I just think...I mean, I always think about the plants.”

“That’s only because I have a lack of a green thumb,” Jinwoo defended himself. “If I was as good
as you are with keeping plants alive, I wouldn’t be needing your necromancy skills.”

“Yeah.”

“Seriously, Junnie, I wouldn’t ever perform experimental spells on Woojin.” Jinwoo stared at him
with such a serious gaze that Myungjun couldn’t really cast any doubt on his sincerity. “But this
spell...this is one I know very well.”

And so he did. Myungjun had been the recipient of such a spell a few times before, back when he
was still plagued with nightmares over Jinwoo’s death and subsequent resurrection. It had been a
terrifying period of Myungjun’s life, though he knew it had been worse for Jinwoo. After all,
Jinwoo was the one who had to go through such a painful death, not knowing whether or not
Myungjun’s powers could bring him back to life.

“I want you to sleep, too,” Jinwoo murmured. “Can I--”

“I think I can sleep without any spells or magic or pills or...anything, really.” Myungjun wiped at
his face, trying his best to scrub away the tear stains. “I’m so tired.”

“Okay,” Jinwoo concurred, though he still stared at Myungjun with extreme concern. “But
sometimes I find that I’m most insomniac when I’m already extremely tired. So if you find
yourself too tired to even sleep, then please let me know.”

“Mmhmm,” Myungjun hummed out, already closing his eyes and leaning against the wall.

Jinwoo stood, making certain that Myungjun wouldn’t move, and he whispered, “Let me go put
Woojin to sleep.”

Before he left, Myungjun grabbed onto his pants leg. “The spell,” he murmured, “it doesn’t...like,
how long will he be asleep for? An hour? Two? Three?”

“However long he wants,” Jinwoo responded. “He could wake up within the next hour, or he could
sleep until morning. But I’ll bet he’s just as tired as you are.” Jinwoo sounded fond, and Myungjun
sighed with content. Jinwoo was a wonderful father. He loved his child more than anything, and
whenever he talked about Woojin, his voice lit up and his eyes sparkled.

Myungjun released Jinwoo, knowing that his husband would take perfect care of their son.

He somehow managed to fall asleep before Jinwoo came back for him. He didn’t remember how
Jinwoo managed to get him into bed (though it was likely Jinwoo’s strong arms -- god, Myungjun
loved muscles) and he didn’t remember waking up at all through the night (which meant Jinwoo’s
spell worked wonderfully). When he finally did wake up, the sun was high in the sky and he could
smell lunch cooking in the kitchen.

He stumbled out of the bedroom and down the hall to where Jinwoo was, standing over a
concoction of different foods. Myungjun took a sniff and smiled; those were his favorite foods.

“What’s this?” he asked, standing behind Jinwoo and propping his chin up on Jinwoo’s shoulder.

Jinwoo didn’t give a start; he seemed to have a sixth sense about him, where he knew Myungjun’s
exact location at all given times. Myungjun usually appreciated it, though it did make sneaking up
on his husband a little hard.

“Thought I’d cook something for you,” Jinwoo said, smiling brightly. He was a good cook, and he
utilized it well.

Myungjun stared out at the dishes. “Jellyfish salad?” he asked. “And tuna stew?”

“Yup!” Jinwoo held out a spoon; Myungjun took that as his cue to taste, and he did so eagerly,
smacking his lips when Jinwoo took the spoon away. “Is it good?”

“It’s delicious . Nice and spicy. I already love it.”

Jinwoo beamed, clearly very proud of his creations. “It’ll be a feast! I think you need one, too. I
haven’t been home very often, and I know you haven’t had time to cook, so I apologize. I hope this
will make up for everything you’ve gone through.”

“Now, now,” Myungjun chided, smooching Jinwoo’s cheek. “I’ll go through all of that a hundred
times over if it means starting a family with you.”

“A hundred times over?” Jinwoo snorted. “A hundred kids, then?”

“Nope. I take it back. Maybe...maybe two or three more times.”

“That sounds much more reasonable. We don’t need more kids than we can handle.”

Myungjun laughed in agreement. He felt more awake and alive than he had in days . He felt as if
he could go hiking, or just climb a mountain, or even run all the way back to Boryeong to visit his
friends.

But there was a matter that was a bit more pressing. Myungjun pulled back from Jinwoo and
glanced around. “Where’s Woojin? Is he still sleeping?”

“He’s in his pen,” Jinwoo said, gesturing toward the living room. Myungjun peeked out of the
 kitchen; sure enough, Woojin was crawling about in his gated pen, grabbing at his blankets and a
few random toys Jinwoo had given him. He looked well-rested and content, and when he noticed
Myungjun staring at him, he smiled widely and squealed.

Jinwoo chuckled and joined Myungjun. “He missed you, I think,” he said. “He really loves you a
lot.”

Myungjun’s heart was melting. His husband was treating him so wonderfully, and his child was
smiling at him so beautifully. It was perfect . He never wanted things to change.

Unless, of course, he could expand his family. Even if Woojin was a hassle, he was a hassle that
was absolutely worth it.

“I can definitely handle two kids,” he murmured.

And Jinwoo grinned some more.

Chapter End Notes

hit me up on my twitter page @vonseal for spoilers and general nonsense and even
more birthday fics.
 Chapter 2
Chapter Notes

more adventures with our cute (and now kinda sad) magic fam

See the end of the chapter for more notes

“We’ve adopted once already!” Myungjun fumed, tossing an opened letter onto the coffee table in
front of him. “Why do they think we’re not ready to adopt again?”

Jinwoo raised an eyebrow before examining the letter that grated Myungjun’s nerves so badly. He
read it once, then read it again, and then set it down, much more gently than Myungjun had. His
fingers trembled, though, betraying his inner feelings.

“We…” He cleared his throat and kept his eyes averted from Myungjun’s frustrated gaze. “We
were denied?”

“Not enough parenting experience,” Myungjun spat out, doing his best to keep his voice low. It
wouldn’t be good if he woke Woojin up with angry yells. No, he needed to keep his anger as quiet
as possible. “I don’t know if they’re aware we have a child already. We have three years of
parenting experience!”

“ Do they know? Because perhaps they--”

“Of course they know! We told them! They interrogated us at our own home!”

He hadn’t meant to snap, but the words came out harshly anyway. Jinwoo cleared his throat for a
second time, and guilt flooded throughout Myungjun’s body.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I’m not...I’m not upset with you. I’m just upset in general.”

“I know,” Jinwoo murmured. “You’ve wanted another child for a long time.”

“So have you.”

“Yes,” said Jinwoo, and suddenly his chin quivered and his lips pulled down in a frown. He was
clearly distraught over the information they were given. Myungjun recognized the pain in Jinwoo’s
own eyes. He, too, wanted a child. He had been more excited than Myungjun to fill out the
adoption forms and submit pages upon pages of paperwork. He had discussed baby names and had
contemplated adding on an extra room to their house for another cute nursery. And here he was,
greeted by a letter of denial, a sudden downturn in their quest for one more child.

Myungjun leaned over and grasped Jinwoo’s hands within his own. “Jinnie,” he whispered.

Jinwoo glanced over at him, his eyes full of unshed tears. With a sigh, Myungjun embraced his
husband. Sometimes he forgot Jinwoo was actually younger than he was. Sometimes he forgot that
Jinwoo grew up with no loving family. Sometimes he forgot that Jinwoo was emotional and
vulnerable.

“It’s alright,” he said, rubbing a hand up and down Jinwoo’s back. “We’ll contest it. Or, I mean,
we can always find a different agency to adopt from. We adopted Woojin, so we’ll just have to
prove once again that we’re fit to be parents.”

Jinwoo sniffled, then asked, “They do extensive background checks, don’t they?”

“Yeah, but your background is fake. You know that.”

“Yours isn’t.”

Myungjun had considered that to be a possibility. Would an adoption agency find out about his
necromancy? Would they refrain from giving him a child because he was a magic user? But if that
was the case, Myungjun felt as if he would have gotten a far harsher letter than what was currently
resting on his coffee table.

Still, the thought of an adoption agency discovering who he was made him frightened, and he
tightened his grip on Jinwoo.

“Probably not,” Jinwoo was quick to correct himself. “They don’t know anything.”

“Right,” Myungjun breathed out. “Our recommendation letters came from people who wouldn’t
ever give up my secret. Dongmin and Bin and Officer Yoon and Chief Choi. And...and I doubt
they would have traveled all the way to my old hometown just to talk to people who probably no
longer remember me. A lot of the people I grew up with are no longer there, anyway.”

“That’s right,” Jinwoo agreed.

Myungjun bit his lip, then asked, “But what if I’m the reason we can no longer adopt?”

“You aren’t .” Jinwoo pulled back slightly. A few tears had escaped his eyes, and Myungjun was
quick to wipe them away, his own hands shaky as he ran his fingers down the plus of Jinwoo’s
cheeks. “They know nothing about you. I promise, they found out nothing .”

“Then what is it? Why did they reject us?”

“We’re still new parents. Perhaps they think we just can’t handle an extra baby.” Jinwoo took a
deep breath. “We can prove them wrong, though. We’ll fight this rejection letter. I can get more
references from my men on the force, from my chief, and from our neighbors. We can let them
observe Woojin; he’s perfect, you know? He’s learning to read certain words, even. He’s the
smartest boy I know.”

“He is,” Myungjun choked out, thinking of how wonderfully they had begun to raise their son. He
had to compose himself before he really let loose all of his pent-up emotions. “Maybe we just...we
need another agency. That’s all.”

“And the one we got Woojin from -- they’re no longer doing adoptions?”

“Not right now,” Myungjun confirmed, then he buried his face into his hands. He couldn’t cry. He
couldn’t break down. Not when Jinwoo himself was already so close to crying, not when this
family relied on his strength.

Jinwoo placed a hand on his back. “It’s okay,” he whispered, now taking on the role of comforter ,
even if it sounded like his voice was breaking and he was liable to burst into sobs at any minute.
“There are other agencies. There are other ways to adopt. I mean, hell, we could try for a surrogate,
even. I’ve read about that, you know.”
 “I have, too,” Myungjun said, his voice muffled from behind his hands.

“They would just need something from one of us, you know? No sex is needed. It would be easy.
And then the child is related to one of us.”

Myungjun swallowed thickly and ran his fingers through his hair before lifting his head. “I told
you, I don’t want that. I don’t want only one of us to be the father.”

“We could both donate, and then they won’t tell us--”

“We have completely different features. I’d be able to tell.”

“But it--”

“I don’t want that.”

“Does it really matter if I’m the biological father, or if you’re the biological father?” Jinwoo asked
suddenly, his voice coming out a bit harsh. “We’d both still love the child equally. I don’t think
either one of us would have any sort of bias in our hearts. We both love Woojin, right, and he isn’t
related to us.”

Myungjun gnawed at his lower lip and then sighed. “I guess so,” he murmured. “I just...I can’t help
but worry that it’ll cause strife and trouble, and…” He reached out and gently held onto Jinwoo’s
hand. “One more agency,” he whispered. “I want to help a child already in need of loving parents.
One more agency, please.”

Jinwoo studied him for a few seconds, then nodded his head and leaned into Myungjun. “We’ll try
again,” he promised. “We’ll have another baby, love. Don’t worry. I promise.”

The paper on the table still mocked him, still teased him, but Myungjun stared at it with hope
growing in his heart.

If Jinwoo wouldn’t give up, neither would he.

Chapter End Notes

hit me up on my twitter page @vonseal for spoilers and general nonsense and even
more birthday fics.
 Chapter 3
Chapter Notes

dont think i forgot

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Myungjun always held his breath a little when Bin picked Woojin up into his arms. Bin was great
with kids, sure, but he had a habit of being a bit too rough. Nothing had ever happened, and Woojin
seemed to love horseplay in general, but Myungjun’s paternal instincts kicked in as he watched Bin
fly Woojin around the living room as if he was an airplane and Woojin the pilot.

Jinwoo, on the other hand, watched with fondness -- Myungjun had to remind himself that Jinwoo
had never experienced such childhood joys -- and Dongmin watched with…

Well, Myungjun couldn’t really tell. Dongmin was a closed book most of the time, and he also
didn’t seem to enjoy children as much as his partner did.

“So,” Myungjun said, drawing Dongmin’s attention away from Bin and Woojin. “Are you two
going to ever get married?”

Dongmin made a face, and Myungjun smirked. That was easy enough to read.

“Is that a no, then?” Myungjun teased.

Dongmin rolled his eyes and murmured, “Work is too busy to even think about marriage. Besides,
just because you and Jinwoo got married and are happy and domestic doesn’t mean it’s right for
everybody. I think Bin and I prefer being boyfriends and keeping the government out of our
business.”

“That’s when fake information comes in handy,” Myungjun pointed out, rather pleased that his
husband was capable enough to trick even the government officials when need be. But Jinwoo had
to be good, or else he would have been caught a long time ago and prosecuted for something he
couldn’t even control.

“I’d rather not, thank you,” Dongmin said, a bit proudly, even though Myungjun knew several of
his own documents had already been faked.

No matter, though. He couldn’t continue to talk about it, anyway, not when Bin plopped down next
to him, Woojin clinging to his neck.

“Again!” Woojin screeched, tugging at Bin. “Do it again!”

“Uncle Bin is tired ,” Bin complained. “I’m getting too old for this, Woojin.”

“Oh, please,” Dongmin fussed. Myungjun had to agree with him for once; Bin was the youngest of
all of the adults in the living room, and likely the one who worked out the most, if those arm
muscles were anything to go by.

Bin guffawed, mostly at Dongmin’s comment, and then poked Woojin’s side. “Why don’t you ask
Uncle Dongmin to play with you?” he asked the child, who glanced over nervously at Dongmin.

Dongmin never seemed good with kids. He was very awkward and lacked all confidence when it
came to young children. Sure enough, even then he refused to make eye contact and he shuffled his
feet along the ground.

“Maybe Dongmin can read to you,” Myungjun suggested.

Woojin lit up at that, and Dongmin seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Myungjun expected gratitude
from his friend.

“Go choose a book,” Myungjun said, smiling widely at his son. When Woojin ran off to his
bedroom, Myungjun turned his smile onto Dongmin. “He likes it when you do sound effects with
the books, so I expect--”

“I’m not doing that,” Dongmin mumbled, his cheeks brightening.

Myungjun had to remind himself that Dongmin also did not have a typical childhood. He was the
only son of a wealthy, haughty woman. He hardly ever had friends over. He was taught to sit
straight and keep quiet. His mother never allowed him to involve himself in trivial matters such as
games or light reading. As far as Myungjun was aware, her affection was minimal and her
treatment was cold.

So Dongmin, too, was a bit stunted when it came to children.

Feeling a bit of pity for his magical husband and best friend, Myungjun leaned over and kissed
Jinwoo’s cheek, then said to Dongmin, “Honestly, as long as you make it interesting, he won’t
mind. Just acted excited with him, you know? Like, gasp if something big happens, and talk
warmly if something sweet happens.”

Dongmin nodded his head and seemed to store it within his mind for later. At least he was willing
to make an effort, and Myungjun softened when Woojin toddled back to his side, holding a
children’s book about airplane travel.

Once Dongmin and Woojin were settled close by and reading together, Bin fiddled with his cup of
tea and cleared his throat.

“So,” he started, “have you guys been able to find another child to adopt?”

He got his answer quickly with Jinwoo’s crestfallen face and Myungjun’s sudden frown.

“Ah,” said Bin. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to--”

“It’s fine,” Jinwoo mumbled, waving off his apology. “It’s just taking longer than we would’ve
hoped. I want Woojin to be young enough still to grow naturally with his sibling, but...I mean, he
can be the strong, older brother, yeah? Like you are.”

Bin shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah, Sua and I aren’t too different in age.” He tapped his fingers
alongside his cup. “I can’t believe you guys didn’t have siblings.”

“I had cousins,” Jinwoo said, but it was clear he didn’t remember them fondly at all. Myungjun,
who didn’t even know Jinwoo’s cousins, hated them with all his might. He had heard stories about
the torture they put poor, young Jinwoo through, and he hoped one day he might be able to punch
them all in the face.
He honestly hoped for much worse to come their way, but Jinwoo was quite a pacifist and sought
forgiveness instead. Myungjun never knew how he got so lucky with his choice of husband.

“Not the same,” Bin pointed out. “And, besides, you don’t like your cousins. Sanha doesn’t like his
older brother, and he’s the only other one of us who had siblings.”

Myungjun’s heart hammered in his chest. That was right -- they all had rather terrible pasts, save
for Bin. Magic made everything worse. Magic was the cause of all the trouble and frustrations.
Because of magic, Jinwoo was abused and hurt and tossed aside. Because of magic, Dongmin was
treated as a monster. Because of magic, Minhyuk had to run away from home. Because of magic,
Sanha had been ostracized by his own brother.

Because of magic, Myungjun had grown up different, and had ended up hurting his own parents
and experiencing the worst of humans.

He suddenly doubted his own ability to keep his child safe from harm, and he wondered what the
hell he was thinking in trying to adopt another one. Surely he couldn’t keep even Woojin safe from
the horrors of the world. What if Woojin suddenly gained powers overnight? What if he turned out
to be a magic user? Or, even if he wasn’t a user, what if Myungjun’s identity was to be revealed?

Oh, god, what if Jinwoo’s identity would be revealed?

Myungjun gripped tightly at his cup of tea, his mind creating all sorts of nightmare scenarios of the
horrible future his son might face at the hands of anyone who hated magic.

“Myungjun,” Jinwoo suddenly whispered, shaking Myungjun from his intrusive thoughts. When
Jinwoo noticed the look in Myungjun’s eyes, the raw fear, he sighed.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Myungjun glanced toward his son, his legs jittering a little. Jinwoo placed a hand on
his knee, a move that did not go unnoticed by Bin.

“Everything alright?” Bin asked.

Jinwoo shrugged his shoulders, and Myungjun, wanting things to remain jovial, was quick to laugh
off his own concerns. “It’s fine. Don’t worry.”

“It isn’t fine. You’re freaking out about something.” Jinwoo cocked his head, and though
Myungjun knew his husband wouldn’t ever try to read his mind, he still looked away in fear of
being caught with his less-than-welcome thoughts.

But was it right of him to hide anything? Shouldn’t he say something ? Shouldn’t he share his
feelings?

“What if…” He cleared his throat, thankful that at least Woojin was far too occupied with
Dongmin’s reading to listen in. “What if, um, what if Woojin is a magic user?”

Jinwoo’s hand tightened on his leg. “We’ve talked about this.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“We’ll love him no matter what, and--”

“It isn’t that, and you know it.”

 Jinwoo sighed. He followed Myungjun’s line of sight, staring adoringly at their son, and
murmured, “Then all we can do is support him.”

“You guys will always support and love him,” Bin teased, as if he was trying to ensure the mood
remained light. “I doubt you could ever not love him.”

Myungjun swallowed thickly. “I just can’t have him go through what you went through, Jinwoo.
What I went through. What...what we all went through.”

“There’s a possibility he might,” said Jinwoo, ever the rational thinker. “But we all survived, and I
think we all turned out rather well. Plus...Myungjun, your parents were and have always been so
supportive. If we’re just like them, if we do all we can to prop Woojin up and help him throughout
his life, then it’ll be fine. I swear it.”

Myungjun nodded his head, then reached over to grab onto Jinwoo’s hand, curling his own fingers
around Jinwoo’s. Just as he did so, it seemed the story-time was up. Dongmin closed the book with
finality, and Woojin giggled in his lap before glancing over at his parents.

“Daddy!” he called, catching Jinwoo’s attention. “Can Uncle Dongmin read another?”

Dongmin looked at them, pleading for someone to step in and take over, but Jinwoo said, “Of
course he can!”

Woojin cheered and ran back to his room for another book, and Dongmin huffed angrily.

“Thanks a lot, Jinwoo,” he snapped.

“It’s practice for whenever you and Bin inevitably adopt your own child.”

“We won’t,” Dongmin said, and Bin pouted a little bit.

As the three men got into the lamest and silliest argument ever, Myungjun looked over at a framed
portrait of a baby Woojin. His heart settled a bit, ceasing its rapid beating, and he decided that
Jinwoo was right. They would never allow Woojin to grow up miserably, and they would never
allow another child to grow up miserably.

Everything would be fine.

Chapter End Notes

hit me up on my twitter page @vonseal for spoilers and general nonsense and even
more birthday fics.
 Chapter 4
Chapter Notes

a small hiatus, but here we are again :)

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Myungjun decided that the baby laying in the crib in front of him was probably the most gorgeous
baby he had ever laid eyes on before. She was equal to Woojin, and Myungjun mentioned as much
to Jinwoo, gently brushing away some wispy baby hair with one finger.

Jinwoo laughed behind his mask. “I think we’re saying that because she’s ours . Parents always
love their own children more than they love everything else.”

Ours . After years of trying, here they were, standing in front of their new baby girl. Myungjun
wanted to cry, but he also didn’t want to wake Soojin from her deep slumber.

“You can take the mask off, you know,” he murmured, leaning into Jinwoo. “The doctor told you
that you’re fine.”

“I still have the sniffles,” Jinwoo replied, and he sniffed just to prove it.

Myungjun smirked. “That’s either from allergies, or your emotions riling up because you’re so
happy we finally have Soojin with us.”

Jinwoo took his mask down for a brief second and sniffled again. He was definitely doing it on
purpose, and Myungjun held back a giggle as his husband pulled up his mask.

“Can’t,” he said. “I’ll get her sick.”

“You have potions to heal yourself,” Myungjun reminded him. “Just admit you’re apt to cry at any
moment and you’re trying your best to hide it in case my parents come home soon.”

Jinwoo didn’t necessarily admit to such, but he did shrug his shoulders and look away, which
Myungjun supposed was admittance enough.

He looked back down at his child, a bit more interested in her than in his husband’s antics. He still
couldn’t believe he had a daughter. It took far longer than he thought to return back to the agency
they had used for Woojin’s adoption, and for them to finally have a child to place with the Kim-
Park household. She was a bit small, something that worried Myungjun at first, as Woojin had
been a rather large baby, but the agency convinced him she was fine and would grow at a normal
rate.

Myungjun sighed and stepped away from her crib, knowing he was liable to pick her up and kiss
her if he stayed for too long. He wanted to cherish her deep sleep for as long as he possibly could;
if she was anything like Woojin, her sleep wouldn’t last for very long.

Jinwoo, too, stepped away, and once they were both out of her bedroom, Jinwoo took down his
mask and gave a deep, shuddering breath.
Myungjun snorted. “Crybaby,” he teased.

“Oh, shut it. You were crying this morning over her.”

“I admit to it, at least,” Myungjun proclaimed, raising his head with pride and dignity. “It’s nothing
to be ashamed of! She is the most precious child in the entire universe, aside from Woojin, so of
course I would cry over her.”

Jinwoo smiled and kissed Myungjun’s cheek, then stared into the room. “Will Woojin be okay
with her in there?” he asked.

“He’s super excited to have a sister,” Myungjun reminded him. “Though, in case you’re concerned,
I have two baby monitors in there. I sorta think Woojin will treat her like a baby doll or
something.”

Jinwoo chuckled a bit. “I don’t think so. He’s a gentle soul, just like his daddy.”

“And just like his dad ,” Myungjun argued. “And if we really want to get into who the most gentle
is, I think I would win by a longshot. I don’t destroy plants with a simple touch.”

“No,” Jinwoo conceded, and then he leaned in, whispering, “but you definitely are not gentle with
me.”

Myungjun took a few seconds to process the innuendo, and then he gasped at Jinwoo’s scandalous
words. “How dare you accuse me of such!” he exclaimed, managing to keep his voice down so as
to not wake Soojin. “I’m gentle in bed, you know.”

“Not really.”

“Well, if I’m not gentle, then it’s because you egg me on.”

Jinwoo didn’t deny that, but he did smile and blush and nod his head a little bit. Myungjun
considered himself the champion of their faux argument, and as the champion, he felt as if he
earned a prize.

So he kissed Jinwoo again -- a lovely prize, if he did say so himself.

“My parents should be home soon,” he reminded his husband. “And they’ll be bringing along
Woojin. Let’s tidy up a bit and make this place look a bit more presentable.”

“Isn’t that why your parents are coming? To help out with the first couple of weeks?”

“That doesn’t mean I should make them clean.”

“A far cry from the boy I fell in love with,” Jinwoo teased.” God, back then, you never wanted to
clean for them.”

Myungjun puffed out his chest. “I’m a grown man now, Jinnie,” he said, making his voice
purposefully deeper -- and louder. “And I think I have learned how to clean my own house by now.
In fact, if you watch, I shall clean every--”

Soojin made a few noises of discontent, and Myungjun held his breath, exchanging a wide-eyed
look with Jinwoo, who only appeared amused. They both peeked into the bedroom, then shared a
sigh of relief when Soojin fell back to sleep.

“Quiet,” Jinwoo whispered.

 Myungjun held back a giggle and stared adoringly at his daughter.

“Right,” he responded, but neither of them moved for a bit after that, far too content to gaze upon
the newest member of their growing family.

Chapter End Notes

hit me up on my twitter page @vonseal for spoilers and general nonsense and even
more birthday fics.
 Chapter 5
Chapter Notes

I HAVE ANOTHER BDAY FIC I AM FINISHING THAT IS LATE but take this
chapter of this one until im done

See the end of the chapter for more notes

“So,” Jinwoo drawled, staring out the windshield. “Why are we here?”

Myungjun hadn’t told him much, just, “Get in the car,” and, “If you ask one more question, I’ll
toss you out of the car.” As it was, Jinwoo only stared at him in concern as Myungjun drove down
the bumpy road of their small town, waving to a few neighbors here and there, until they reached a
nearby gas station. It had long been abandoned, and though it was surrounded by other stores, it
was quiet in the middle of the weekday. The only sound was cars passing down the road, a little bit
away from where Myungjun had parked, and even that only happened occasionally.

Myungjun smiled and turned the air conditioning in the car down a bit. “We haven’t had any time
to ourselves,” he said. His parents had been helping out with Soojin for the past few weeks, and
between two children and two parents, their time together had been slim. In fact, Myungjun wasn’t
even aware how they had managed this little bit of time together. He had somehow spun his own
magic with convincing words, and his parents had taken over babysitting duty while he whisked
Jinwoo off on a short trip , as he referred to their current situation.

“Oh,” said Jinwoo, and he looked out of his window at the abandoned gas station. “So...why are
we here ?”

“It’s hidden,” Myungjun said. “Or as hidden as I can get at the moment.”

It was obvious Jinwoo still didn’t quite understand, and Myungjun took pity on his innocent
husband. He leaned over the console of the car and kissed Jinwoo’s chin, then whispered, “Like I
said, we haven’t had any time by ourselves.”

It took Jinwoo a few more seconds to process the innuendo behind that statement, and when he did,
his eyes lit up. Myungjun held back a chuckle as he kissed his boyfriend again. Jinwoo was
adorable, really. Myungjun absolutely loved him with his entire soul, with every last inch of his
body, and he wanted to prove it to Jinwoo in every single way possible.

“What if someone catches us?” Jinwoo asked, pulling back from the kiss.

Myungjun pouted. “No one will. Look, that building is abandoned, and none of the other stores
have much going on at the moment. And we’re parked behind some bushes, anyway, so it’s not
like anyone’s gonna really see us.”

Jinwoo pursed his lips. “Yeah, but...god, it’s really out in the open.”

“That’s the fun part,” Myungjun teased, kissing Jinwoo’s cheek. “It wouldn’t be nearly as exciting
if I had booked us a hotel.”

“No, but it’d be a lot safer. A lot less...revealing.”

Myungjun blinked, then smiled gently. “Shall I book us a hotel instead?” he asked, making sure his
words were not clouded with judgement. While he longed to ravish Jinwoo in the middle of a
parking lot, to have sex while seated in a car, he didn’t want to put his husband through an
uncomfortable or embarrassing situation. Jinwoo deserved so much more than that.

However, after a few seconds of thought, Jinwoo ended up shaking his head. “We can do it here,”
he stated with a finality that shocked Myungjun.

“Really?”

“Do you not want to, all of a sudden?”

“No, no, it’s just…” Myungjun grinned. “I didn’t think you’d actually go for it.”

Jinwoo giggled a bit, sounding far too young for how old they were actually getting. Myungjun
wondered if this was how they would have been if they were normal teenagers, if they didn’t have
magic to worry about. Would Jinwoo be the jock of the school? Would he play sports and laugh
with all of his friends? Or would he be more subdued, more quiet? Would he hang out with the
smart students, or with the shy students? Myungjun liked to think that his husband would likely be
friends with everyone in the school. He was smart enough to make top grades, and he was polite
enough to endear himself to the teachers.

“What are you thinking about?” Jinwoo asked, cupping Myungjun’s cheek with his large hand.

Myungjun smiled, enjoying such a warmth. He nuzzled into Jinwoo’s touch and then murmured,
“Just...you know, what life would be like if we weren’t…”

He needn’t say more. Jinwoo understood.

“I’d still be so in love with you,” he murmured.

“Obviously.”

“Don’t be so cheeky.”

Myungjun laughed and then maneuvered over so he straddled Jinwoo in his seat. Jinwoo’s hands
moved to hold onto his waist, his fingers gripping and digging slightly into Myungjun’s skin.
Myungjun enjoyed that feeling, as well. It felt possessive, as if Jinwoo would never let him go.

“I think I’d be more in love with you ,” he challenged Jinwoo before capturing his lips in a
passionate kiss.

Jinwoo was quick to kiss him back, just as desperately, though he did murmur, “No, I’d be more in
love.”

Myungjun snorted in between kisses, but he didn’t have a chance to respond. Each and every time
he tried, Jinwoo would dip his tongue into his mouth, or else move his hips sinfully and cause
Myungjun to moan. Soon enough, Myungjun gave up trying to talk, and he melted into Jinwoo’s
seductive touches with little hesitation.

He snaked his fingers down Jinwoo’s waist and tugged his shirt out of his pants. Jinwoo responded
by lifting his hips, allowing Myungjun a chance to unbutton his jeans and unbuckle his belt. Still
they kissed, mouths parting briefly from time to time for both of them to gulp down a breath of air
before reconnecting.
“Jinwoo, Myungjun managed to moan, one of the few words Jinwoo allowed him to say. Jinwoo
responded with a moan of his own, something unintelligible that Myungjun thought sounded a lot
like, love you .

He wouldn’t be shocked if it was a proclamation of love. Jinwoo was rather cheesy like that.

Soon enough, Myungjun was rolling his own hips along Jinwoo’s. Whenever he rolled them down,
Jinwoo would grip at his skin harder, and Myungjun knew he would likely have finger-shaped
bruises along his hips. The thought made him hotter, and he dipped his fingers underneath
Jinwoo’s shirt, tickling along his ribs and up to his chest.

So lost were they in primal pleasure that they didn’t notice the light rapping at the window of the
car, until it became a little bit louder and until a voice accompanied it.

They broke, Jinwoo panting a little bit, and glanced up at the visitor.

Myungjun recognized the police uniform, and Jinwoo recognized the face.

“Shit,” Jinwoo hissed, doing his best to push Myungjun off his lap.

Myungjun, a bit embarrassed to have been caught, scrambled back into his seat and smoothed
down his hair, which Jinwoo had somehow managed to ruffle up.

Jinwoo rolled his window down, face red as he greeted the cop with a quiet, “Good afternoon,
Officer Cho.”

Officer Cho looked almost as embarrassed as Jinwoo and Myungjun.

“Hello, Detective Park,” he mumbled, his eyes averted. “I, um...I apologize. I didn’t realize it was
you.” He took a deep breath. “I thought...I mean, it’s public indecency, so I just…” He cleared his
throat and shrugged his shoulders. “I was going to write a ticket, but I can let you off with a
warning, Detective.”

Jinwoo swallowed thickly and nodded his head. He looked horrified. Myungjun fiddled with his
fingers, feeling partially responsible for the awkward atmosphere he had brought to the car.

“Just...don’t, uh, don’t do it again,” the officer said, though such a demand was undercut by his
wavering voice.

“Yes,” Jinwoo agreed, his own voice even worse than Officer Cho’s. “I apologize.”

He offered no other explanation, for which Myungjun was thankful for. It would probably be
worse if Jinwoo started babbling.

The officer bowed to the both of them and was then quick to walk away, back to the patrol car
Myungjun hadn’t even noticed.

Once he was gone, Myungjun decided he best speak. Jinwoo didn’t seem like he would speak for a
long time.

“That was mostly my fault,” Myungjun said. “I apologize.”

Jinwoo buried his face into his hands.

“In my defense, it has been a while, and I just...well, I guess I lost control. And it’d be so hot to do
it in a car, wouldn’t it?” He snapped his fingers. “Next time, let’s wait until night, and let’s drive
 far away where we won’t be recognized. Perfect plan, right?”

Jinwoo mumbled something.

“Can’t hear you, babe.”

“I said , I don’t think I can show my face at work again.”

“WIll everyone mock you for getting some with your loving, handsome husband?” Myungjun
asked. “Please. I bet they’ll be jealous of how sexy we are.”

Jinwoo rolled his eyes, but Myungjun could see his lips quirking upwards in a smile. Though his
face was still red, at least he seemed somewhat amused.

“I can’t believe we got caught,” he mumbled.

“We should’ve gone to the hotel, I guess.”

They sat in silence for a few seconds, allowing the wave of embarrassment to wash off of them,
and then Jinwoo asked, “Could we still go to the hotel?”

Myungjun grinned and nodded his head. “Of course!” he exclaimed. “Trust me, I know the perfect
place for this.”

“I don’t know if I trust you any further,” Jinwoo scowled. He pulled out his phone and added, “I’ll
find us a hotel.”

“Swell,” Myungjun agreed.

It was probably for the best.

Chapter End Notes

hit me up on my twitter page @vonseal for spoilers and general nonsense and even
more birthday fics.
 Chapter 6
Chapter Notes

i forgot to update

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Sanha, rocking Soojin back and forth in his arms, looked like quite the sight. Myungjun studied
him briefly, wondering just when the dorky kid who grew up beside him had actually grown up.
Gone was the curly, dyed hair. Gone were the braces. Gone were the too-large glasses. Sanha
looked like a man now, and Myungjun found himself mourning the years that had passed.

“Why are you staring at my boyfriend like that?” Minhyuk suddenly questioned, snapping
Myungjun out of his daze.

“I wasn’t,” Myungjun quickly denied.

Jinwoo, however, wasn’t on Myungjun’s side. “He thinks Sanha is hot.”

Sanha laughed at that, and he covered Soojin’s ears, though she was too young to understand and
Myungjun suspected that she couldn’t even hear. He had gotten several confirmations from several
doctors, all of whom agreed with the consensus that something was wrong with Soojin’s hearing.
She didn’t respond to noises, only to sights. It was worrisome, and Myungjun had several panic
attacks over the idea that his sweet, innocent daughter had something wrong with her.

But seeing her in Sanha’s arms, her eyes slipping closed as she allowed herself to be rocked to
sleep, alleviated some of Myungjun’s fears. He had to remind himself that she would still be
normal. Lots of normal people couldn’t hear very well, and Soojin would be among them.

Anyway, as Jinwoo always said, their children would never be normal because they were far too
special to be normal.

“I think Sanha is handsome ,” Myungjun corrected Minhyuk, swiping at his best friend. “I never
said hot .”

“You don’t think I’m hot?” Sanha asked, pouting a bit.

“Of course not. Only Jinwoo is hot. And sometimes Dongmin, on certain days and if he’s standing
in the correct light. Otherwise, he just looks pretentious.”

Sanha laughed again, and Minhyuk chuckled along with him, playing a bit with Soojin’s tiny feet.
She didn’t appear bothered by this intrusion, and continued to fall asleep.

Woojin was already down for a nap, settled comfortably in Minhyuk and Sanha’s bed. It was a
last-minute visit, one that Myungjun hadn’t really planned for, but as they were on the way to
spend a week in Seoul, free of distractions and magic and worries, Jinwoo had suddenly become a
bit sentimental and had wanted to visit friends.

So Sanha and Minhyuk were first on the list, and they welcomed Myungjun’s family into the
apartment without any hesitation.
It helped that Myungjun threatened them with, “That used to be my apartment, so I’m owed a
visit.”

They kept the apartment much more clean than Myungjun did himself.

“If she is deaf,” Minhyuk blurted out, as if they had been engaged in a conversation about Soojin’s
lack of hearing, “you know there’s a ton of resources in order to give her some hearing. What about
those...you know…” He gestured at his ear.

“Cochlear implants?” Myungjun guessed, and Minhyuk nodded his head.

“That’s the one. Have you thought about it?”

Myungjun pursed his lips. He tried not to think too often about Soojin’s issues. He tried to ignore
them, though he knew it was irresponsible of him.

Jinwoo, thankfully, sensed Myungjun’s discomfort and answered for him. “We have. We still need
confirmation that she cannot hear. So far the doctors think she’s deaf, but they’ll be running a few
more tests next month, just to be sure it isn’t some sort of learning disability instead.”

“Well, maybe…” Minhyuk cleared his throat. “Have you thought about magic? ”

At this, Myungjun snapped, “Excuse me?”

“I know you’re opposed to Jinwoo performing magic,” Minhyuk continued, “but you can’t deny
that it could fix the problem.”

“My magic isn’t strong enough to cure hearing,” Jinwoo politely pointed out. He stole a glance
toward his husband and added, “Besides, we’ve made the decision that we will not use magic to
interfere in our children’s lives, unless absolutely necessary.”

“Wouldn’t this be necessary?” Sanha asked. “People need to hear-”

“It isn’t,” Myungjun responded, a bit sternly. Sanha’s eyes widened slightly but he said nothing
else, and so Myungjun barreled forth. “She might not be able to hear, but one doctor told me that
some children just respond slower than others, and some have bad hearing for a bit, and some just
have other problems. It’s likely not her hearing. And even if it is, then I can learn sign language.
I’ll teach it to Woojin, too, and we’ll communicate to her without any other issues. She’s perfect as
is, no matter what.”

Sanha blinked. “I...I didn’t mean to say that she isn’t . I think she’s perfect, too.” He pat her belly
where she lay in his arms. “I just...I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Myungjun felt a bit bad about lashing out. He knew Sanha didn’t mean any harm. Sanha was a
sweet kid, far too innocent and friendly to imply that a child wasn’t perfect . Besides, he loved
Soojin and Woojin. He had been the most excited over the impromptu visit, and he had played with
Woojin until the boy was exhausted, and then he took over duties in caring for Soojin.

“No, I’m sorry,” Myungjun mumbled, slumping forward a bit. “I’m just...I’m stressed.”

Jinwoo, seated beside Myungjun, rubbed at his back, a comforting gesture that earned him a soft
smile.

“It’ll work out,” Jinwoo promised all of them. “Things will be fine. At the end of the day, I think
all that matters is we’re a family and we all love and respect each other.”
Sanha nodded to that, loosening up a little bit with Myungjun’s apology. “She is the cutest thing
ever,” he said, grinning down at the toddler. “I wanna keep her.”

“Get your own,” Myungjun quipped, an attempt to lighten the mood.

Sanha laughed, though he kept his voice down so he wouldn’t wake Soojin from her slumber. “It
seems like a lot of work. But…” He glanced over at Minhyuk, whose face reddened. “Maybe one
day?” he asked.

Minhyuk cleared his throat, much to Myungjun’s amusement. “Yeah,” he responded. “Maybe.”

“Well, that’s more definite than Dongmin and Bin,” Jinwoo teased, his hand never once leaving
Myungjun’s back. “We once brought it up to Dongmin, who looked about ready to vomit over the
idea of being a father.”

“So dramatic, that one,” Minhyuk muttered, rolling his eyes. “What does Bin think?”

“He’s great with the kids, so part of me is shocked he isn’t going to force Dongmin into it. Maybe
one day, though, Dongmin will get over his hatred of marriage and children.”

“He doesn’t hate kids,” Myungjun argued, shaking his head. “He’s just young and dumb.”

Jinwoo grinned. “Aren’t we ?”

“Maybe you are. I’m the most intelligent one in this room, I should think,” Myungjun said, though
he mostly meant it as a joke to cover for his own inferiority complex. He had never finished high
school and had never sought higher education. He had made many poor decisions in his youth, and
in some cases had paid dearly for those decisions. He could only hope that the wisdom he had
amassed from learning from his own mistakes would help him to steer his children down the right
path and ensure they never made similar mistakes.

Jinwoo, his ever-loving and ever-patient husband, nodded his head and smiled brightly. “You
really are the most intelligent man I know,” he stated, not an ounce of mockery in his words.

“You must not know a lot of men,” Minhyuk muttered, but Myungjun ignored the teasing from his
best friend to cherish the compliment of his husband.

“You’re so precious!” Myungjun cooed, leaning over to kiss Jinwoo’s nose. “Aw, my darling
lover! See, Sanha, Minhyuk, this is what you’re missing by not getting married.”

“Unmarried people can compliment each other, too,” Minhyuk argued.

Myungjun, curling into his husband’s side, scoffed. “Do it, then.”

But Minhyuk clammed up, as he always did when asked to display any public affection, and his
jaw went tight. At least Sanha seemed amused by his boyfriend’s embarrassment, but he said
nothing to ease the situation. He just went back to cuddling with Soojin, keeping her still and
asleep throughout it all.

Myungjun watched as Minhyuk struggled to come up with something sweet to say to Sanha, and
from where he sat, he decided it really would be okay if Soojin was deaf, or if she had a learning
problem. He had friends and family who were willing to assist in any way they could.

And, as always, he had the best husband in the entire world. Jinwoo was supportive and determined
and steady. Myungjun, leaning into Jinwoo’s arms, smiled proudly at all he had accomplished, at
 where life had taken him, and he knew things would turn out just fine.

The sentimental moment lasted until Minhyuk blurted out, “Sanha is hot.”

“Is that your compliment?” Myungjun asked, unimpressed, and Jinwoo laughed loudly until
Woojin woke up and sprinted into the living room to see what was going on.

Chapter End Notes

hit me up on my twitter page @vonseal for spoilers and general nonsense and even
more birthday fics.
 Chapter 7
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

“Don’t you dare,” Myungjun warned Woojin, shooting his son a glare. “I told you to carefully take
it to your father, not run at him with the full force of a wild boar.”

Woojin, having already stopped in his tracks, smiled sheepishly at Myungjun. “Sorry, Dad,” he
murmured before trudging the rest of the way over to Jinwoo, who was seated on a couch and
watching the proceedings with amusement. He accepted the craft Woojin had made for him at
school with a wide smile.

Myungjun instantly had a bad feeling about that smile. “And you ,” he added, pointing to his
husband, “had better not cry.”

“Daddy always cries!” Woojin exclaimed. He climbed onto the couch beside his father and
gestured to his creation. It was charming in the way only a child’s craft could be, but even so,
Jinwoo looked like he was ready to cherish it forever and ever.

“Why don’t you read it out to him, Woojin?” Myungjun suggested as he scooped up his daughter
and straightened out her dress.

And so Woojin did, though he stumbled upon a few words here and there. “‘Daddy is my hero
because he helps me with ho-homework. Daddy is my hero because he packs my lunches. Daddy is
my hero because he takes care of me and my sister. Daddy is my hero because he catches bad guys.
I love my daddy.’”

Jinwoo swallowed thickly and managed to choke out a small, “Thank you so much, baby.”

Woojin glanced over at Myungjun and asked, “Can I hug him?”

“You can, but just be careful. He’s still recovering,” Myungjun reminded him. Woojin was very
careful, minding his father’s injured abdomen and offering a side-hug, which Jinwoo returned with
gusto.

“Thank you,” Jinwoo murmured again. He kissed the top of Woojin’s head before releasing him.

Instantly, Woojin’s focus was on something else, and he asked, “Can I go play outside? Uncle
Sanha gave me a new football I wanna try out!”

Jinwoo nodded, and Myungjun fussed, “Be careful out there. Don’t kick it into the neighbor’s yard,
alright? And try your best to stay clean, please -- I can only give one of you a bath tonight, and
Soojin already made a mess today.”

Woojin appeared to only listen to half of Myungjun’s words before he jumped off the couch and
darted outside. Myungjun sighed and took Woojin’s place, settling Soojin down on his lap.

Jinwoo was still staring down at the card, joy visible on his face.

“He was excited to make that for you,” Myungjun mumbled. “The prompt was apparently Who is
your hero? ” He scoffed and played with the small braids in Soojin’s hair. “I’m a bit disappointed
it wasn’t me.”
Jinwoo took a deep breath. “It’s only because I was injured. Otherwise, it would be you.”

“Well,” Myungjun said, and then he shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe if I wasn’t the reason you
had been injured in the first place, it would’ve--”

“It wasn’t your fault. You were under the control of magic.” Jinwoo set aside the craft Woojin had
created and put his hand on Myungjun’s elbow. “I never once thought it was your fault.”

Myungjun remembered how it had felt to hold the gun that nearly ended Jinwoo’s life. He
remembered Jinwoo’s blood rushing through his fingers, so reminiscent of Jinwoo’s death years
ago. He remembered sobbing in the hospital, and he remembered sitting behind thick, iron bars as
he awaited the answer to both his own fate and Jinwoo’s.

Even if it wasn’t his fault, he still lived with such guilt, such horror, at what he had done under the
control of another witch.

“If I had been stronger,” he started, swallowing past the lump in his throat.

Jinwoo was quick to cut him off. “I’m not nearly as high-level as that witch was, but even my
magic is too powerful for people to block. I can push Dongmin out of my mind, and I can un-shift
Sanha, and I can kill plants even if you desperately try to bring them back. A witch’s magic is
nothing to scoff at, and a witch that can control others in the first place is the most powerful being
alive. No one could’ve fought off his magic, Junnie.”

“You’ve only been successful in un-shifting Sanha once,” Myungjun scoffed, trying his best to
ignore the guilt that always lingered in his gut.

“My point still remains,” Jinwoo responded. He brushed Soojin’s bangs away from her forehead
and leaned in to kiss her. She laughed and reached for his neck. Jinwoo took her, arranging her
gently on his lap so she wouldn’t apply pressure on his healing wound.

Myungjun played with his own fingers and closed his eyes briefly.

“I hate it,” he muttered.

Jinwoo seemed to understand what he was referring to. “Magic might be a curse,” he agreed,
We’ve been persecuted. We’ve been targeted. We’ve suffered much more than regular people
have. But I always wonder that if I were successful in changing certain past events, then would I
have ever met you?”

“Of course you would’ve. We’re soulmates.”

Jinwoo smirked. “That’s true. But perhaps we’re only soulmates because of our magic. My hands
have always been made for destruction. And your hands have always been made for life.”

“Except the time I shot you,” Myungjun whispered.

Jinwoo sighed. “That wasn’t you,” he reiterated.

“I still held the gun.”

“Once you gained control of your own mind, you tossed it aside and you worked on saving me.
And I know if I had died -- god forbid -- then you would’ve brought me back to life no matter
what.” Jinwoo moved Woojin’s craft further down the couch, away from Soojin’s grabby hands.
“But, Junnie, I don’t want to keep focusing on it. You did nothing wrong, and I’m okay. We’re all
okay now.”

Myungjun nodded his head. He had convinced himself of that fact most days. He had recognized
that he had been under control of another witch; Bin and Dongmin had explained where they had
seen such powers before, and what those under the power had done. They also knew it wasn’t his
fault. Sanha, too, and even Minhyuk - not a single person blamed him for what had happened.

He didn’t need to blame himself.

Besides, he had a family to look after. He had a wonderful son and a precious daughter and a
perfect husband. For their sakes, he had to recognize that he couldn’t change the past and then
move on to carve out a better future.

“You know,” he said, smiling down at Soojin, “I might try using my hands for labor.”

“Hm?”

“I want to see if I actually have a green-thumb, or if it’s just the magic that makes me think I do.”
He laughed. “Let’s see if I can grow plants without cheating.”

“I’m interested in this endeavor,” Jinwoo teased. “Though, I will need someone to bring my plants
back from the dead. I definitely don’t have a green-thumb.”

Myungjun, feeling so much more free, so much more light, giggled behind his hands. “I know that
much,” he responded. “I’ll make an exception for your plants, then. But that’s all.”

Before Jinwoo could respond, Woojin suddenly burst in through the backdoor. His eyes were wide
and he sought out Myungjun.

“Dad!” he exclaimed, “My ball’s in the neighbor’s tree!”

“How did it get there?”

“Dunno! I think the wind blew it--”

“You’re a horrible liar, Woojin.” Myungjun groaned and stood up from the couch. “If only Daddy
were better -- he’s more skilled than I am at climbing trees.” He shot Jinwoo a glare, but Jinwoo
only laughed again and shrugged his shoulders helplessly.

“Daddy’s no help,” Myungjun scoffed, turning back to his son. “Once I get the ball down, though,
you’re going to have to write both the neighbors and me an apology letter.”

“Why would I apologize?” Woojin asked, wrinkling his nose. “It’s just a ball in their tree. I didn’t
hurt nothing.”

“Just write one for me, then. You’re hurting my pride. I’m a delicate person, and I don’t belong up
in trees.”

Jinwoo laughed all the more at that, and Myungjun shot him a quick grin before he was tugged
outside by a frantic Woojin.

And right there and then, with his husband’s laughter ringing in his ears, with his daughter’s
curious gaze on his back, and with his son’s enthusiastic rambling guiding him toward the back
door, Myungjun decided to release his guilt and only focus on what was ahead of him.

Families were hard work, but he was up for the challenge.

Chapter End Notes

AND IT IS DONE!!! im so happy to have written this and i hope that everyone
enjoyed it (especially arohana)!!! there is more on the horizon, especially into next
year, so keep your eyes peeled!

hit me up on my twitter page @vonseal for spoilers and general nonsense.

Please drop by the archive and comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!