Theirs.

CH 24: Bath Tub

For a week, since the night Mew had returned, the air had been too thick. The comfort and warmth of the place were still their but the air wasbecoming too stuffy with all of Kana's worries and overthinking.

Mew and Tae had been trying their best to calm his heart as much as they could. For them, it was as if Kana was back to his first trimester of pregnancy. He was just as anxious and panicky now as back then. Kana needed the two to be near him at all times. He needed them in his eyesight. He needed their attention. His nightmares that he thought had stopped for good were back to plague his already restless nights. His eyes would relax for a second, and the horrors would start playing, suffocating him. He could barely eat anything well. The tiniest of things-ringing of phones, television, the children's sharp baby voices - would scare him.

It was not like he was not trying to do better for himself.

He saw the worried looks of his husbands. He saw them not going to work and staying home just for him. He saw them go against their routines just for him. He saw the two stay wide awake with him through every sleepless night. He could see their tired faces smile for him.

And never had he felt more like shit.

He could see so clearly how both of them were so ready to do anything for him. They were dealing with their own problems and his at the same time. And here he was, unable to help even just himself, For him, even the simplest of tasks were becoming too difficult. Sleep was already a problem, but so was waking up. Getting out of the bed, he would feel all his bones shattering to powder, His eyes would sting like something as stuck in them. His voice barely came out of his throat. He could only nod or shake his head in the name of communication.

222

"Should we take him to a therapist? He seriously needs some professional help." Tae sighed, sitting beside Mew on the bed as

Arthit and Artemisia played with their lost mother. "Not if he disagrees. Forcing him is the last thing I'd wanna

do right now." Mew leaned against him, so tired. "He's not

agreeing or refusing to meet his father and neither talking

anymore. It's starting to scare me."

Tae patted his head, "Let him think it through.” They exchanged a look of worry as Kana stood up from the

floor with unsteady feet and walked over to them.

"Anything wrong, baby?" Tae pulled Kana down to sit with them. He looked over to the floor and saw the kids busy with themselves. He settled Kana on his lap as Mew was still leaning on his heart.

Kana softly shook his head in denial, snuggling into their warmth. His head rested on the crook of Tae's shoulder as Mew cradled his feet, rubbing them to warmth. "No." It was barely a whisper, but enough for the two to hear.

"Are you craving something? I'll cook it for you." Mew offered with a bright smile. It only stung Kana's heart worse. He shook his head.

The slid his sleek fingers through his tangled curls combing them gently, Kana clawed at his shirt in appreciation. "You want to take a nap? We'll hold you to sleep. And maybe if you want Mew can sin -"Tae found himself unable to speak as Kana kissed his jaw lightly, putting a finger on the older man's lips.

I need to get this over with. I can't be like this forever. Kana pushed Tae away a little, allerting both of them. He showed them a weak smile, whispering, "Please contact my father. I'll meet him. But make it the soonest possible." I can't see them like this anymore.

"On it." Tae scrambled around to find his phone and dialed the number.

"Let me give you a bath while Tae's on call?" Mew suggested, knowing just how much Kana's muscles had been hurting these past few days. Not wanting to struggle too much, Kana nodded, raising his arms up, asking to be carried. Mew smiled at him and picked him up, walking to the bathroom.

"Hello? Mr. Park, this is Darvid Kreepolerk. I wanted to address your request from two weeks back." Tae sounded like the stoic businessman he was. "Yes. He agreed to the meeting. He wants to have it as soon as possible. Yes, sir."

Mew settled Kana inside the tub once it was full of warm water, "Do you want a massage?" he asked, kneeling beside the drenched man. "No. Can you join me instead?" Kana responded, eyes shining with hope.

"Sure, you want me to get Tae and babies, too? We have a big enough tub," Mew ruffled his hair. Kana thought for a while before agreeing to it.

Mew rushed out and found Tae still on his phone, sorting through something. He picked up the playing kids and informed Tae before returning to Kana.

"Mama!" Arthit squeaked, jumping right out of Mew's hold and diving into the tub. "Arthit! Don't ever do that again!" Kana shuddered, checking the boy for any injuries. But the kid shrigged his shoulders and kissed his mother sweet.

"Looks like somebody's gonna become a swimmer." Mew

chuckled, undressing Artmisia and himself before getting in.

Artemisia clung onto her dada, snorting with disgust at the

overfloing ammount of water in there. "And somebody looks like they hate bathing." Kana pinched her cheeks, making the little girl whine. "I love you too, my baby."

"Hello! Hello! My loves." The burst through the door,

wearing nothing more than his boxers. "Did you talk with him?" Kana inquired.

"Yes. We're to meet him for dinner tonight at eight. He sounded like crying." Tae huffed as the kids nodded and hummed in agreement with their father. "They really are Tae's kids. They're too much like him."

Mew snorted. "Also, where are we meeting him?"

"Sonnez Hotel. I don't know how he got a reservation there so quick. People usually have to wait for four or five months before a confirmtion." The whistled, getting into the tub as Arthit splashed some water on him. "Hey!" The shrieked before returning his son's favor.

"Do you want to take the kids there?" Mew asked Kana who was again lost in his own bubble. Kana looked into Mew's eyes and then at Tae and the two babies playing together. He sighed, sinking himself deeper into the tub, "No. I plan on cutting him off completely if his reasons make no sense." Mew frowned, pulling him closer, "What do you mean, 'if'?"

"Maybe he did have some strong reason for abandoning me? And if he meant to never see me again, hee should have not recognised me when he visited us for dinner the very first time." Kana blurted, groaning. "Maybe... Just maybe he did what he did for some big reason. I don't believe that parents go around leaving their children at orphanages for no reason."

"He recognised you back then? And you never told us? Kana, why would you -" Mew took in a ballistic breath, making the rest three turn to him.

Kana cast his eyes down to the bubbles around them. "I-I didn't think he'd contact you to get to me. I never even thought I'd see him again."

"And you will stay in contact  with him if his excuses made sense?" Tae growled, not forgiving Park Hae-Jin for his mistake in any circumstance.

"I'm not sure. Maybe, yes. But if he fucks up again, he's dead to me." Kana inhaled a loud breath and got out of the bath.

"It's fine, love. Don't stress yourself. We can leave the kids with Kit on our way there." Mew huffed. "Let's get ready. It's five already. We have to drop the kids, and Sonnez is pretty far."

Mew saw his husbands nod at him silently.

_______________________

At first I was gonna write about the meeting in this chapter but then I decided to focus on how much Kana is traumatized with it all.

Please vote and comment.

- Wannie