ateez family au

o36

"I-I need to finish a couple of things for tomorrow. You spent great time with your mother, I'm sure she missed you a lot"

"We can finish that tomorrow together? Why don't you sit with us, come on, you're her favorite"

"Ah? Nono, I don't want to interrupt your little alone time, love. And also, I don't want to get into any stress tomorrow. Don't mind me, I will just do it alone... Ah, don't make her wait to long. She likes searching around - for you"

"If you say so... Don't overwork yourself and them!" Hongjoong winked and pressed a kiss on Seonghwa's cheek before he left the kitchen to spent the evening chatting with his oh so lovely mother.

Seonghwa let out a heavy breath, leaning himself against the kitchen counter. Oh, his mother-in-law, a lovely woman, a great role model, so humble and honest, really, a great woman. At his thought the tall male shook his head. Ah yes, Mrs. Kim.

"Papa?" Mingi came into the room, hugging his father's legs.

A smile graces Seonghwa's lips when he saw Mingi clinging onto him, so, he picked up his boy, pinching his nose. "Ah, what's wrong, baby?"

Mingi crossed his little arms. "I don't like grandmother" he then said, and Seonghwa had to hold back his laughter.

"Ah! Don't say that, she's still you grandmother, Mingi. You're going to have respect for her even if you don't like her, ah?" he said instead, meaning every word.

"But she's no fun... Grandma is so much nicer..." he pouted, but he took his father's words serious.

"But we're going to be nice to her because...?"

"because she's Daddy's Mommy..." Mingi ended the sentence.

"Yes. Now, Papa has a couple things to finish. I will call you and your brothers later for the bath, ah?" Seonghwa said, setting Mingi down and ruffling his puffy hair. "hophop, inside, I'm sure San is bored without you" his boy nodded, rushing out of the kitchen to join his brothers.

Before Seonghwa started his work - which he brought up to not sit with her in a room - he politely excused himself from his mother-in-law and Hongjoong. His own mother had thought him a lot, and one of the things was always show kindness and politeness. No matter to who, your friend will appreciate it and your enemy will hate it so much. She used to tell him to always keep a face to look at others, to never use the same tactics as the people that didn't like him. And that was just what he did, and deep down he knew how much Hongjoong's mother despised it.

After that, he directly went into his bedroom, cleaning every spot. Oh he had a bad tic. He couldn't stay in a room where he had seen roaches.

While cleaning he also checked all his drawers, counting the accessories and ties. No, he didn't accuse his mother-in-law for repeated burglary. He was just checking. She was searching for something still.

Sighing, Seonghwa opened his last drawer, taking out his little box. It was a wooden box from his childhood, his father had mad it for him and since then he stored the most important things in it. As in his grandfather's ring, Hongjoong's first love letter, a couple pictures and accessories he had received from Hongjoong for special occasions.

Seonghwa opened the pretty decorated box and took out what he found in it. Pictures of Hongjoong and him, during high school, from their wedding. Five pictures of him at the hospital, right after labor with his newborns in his arms. Then, there was his grandfather's ring which he had made into a necklace. When he had Hongjoong's first love letter between his fingers, a smile flashed over his lips. The paper was quite old now, here and there were marks of Seonghwa's tears. Ah yes, Hongjoong was born to write. There was the bracelet he got as a graduation gift, his promise ring... And then the air changed. One thing was missing.