8 Makes 1 Family

JUST A BIT LONGER

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"Just a Bit Longer"

Yeo_Mama

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Yunho's first night alone in his nursery doesn't quite go according to plan.

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Hongjoong hadn't even initially noticed that Seonghwa's side of the bed was completely empty until he'd settled back down to sleep. The twenty-three-year old had been up in a groggy stumble to the bathroom, still half-asleep as he meandered his wall down the hall and back again, blindly feeling his way towards the comfort of his and his husband's bed. He'd dropped down into the sheets with a groan, kicking away their duvet into a rumpled ball as the late September air was still relatively warm, the old unit they lived in making it especially muggy. He'd reached out in a clumsy attempt to pull the older against him, his favorite sleeping spot being the gentle curve between his shoulder blades; their feet tangled together in a knot. Although, his hold was met with a mound that felt suspiciously like a worn pillow, his cheek falling into the cushiony material, the fabric unnaturally cold from the fan blowing in the corner of their room.

Hongjoong immediately perked up at the lack of his husband, anxiously patting at the chilly mattress to make sure that he wasn't missing him in his drowsy state; squinting into the darkness. When he deemed his disappearance to be valid, and not just a sleepy hallucination, the male's legs were swinging back over the bed in a heartbeat, his toes meeting the crisp hardwood floors. He wordlessly padded his way out of their bedroom, yawning loudly as he wandered down the hall, listening to the tired boards creak underneath him.

Seonghwa thankfully couldn't have gone very far in the tiny box that was their apartment, evident by the way Hongjoong was able to spot him in an instant, suddenly unsure of how he'd even missed him on his way towards the bathroom to begin with.

A soft glow emanated from the open doorway of an adjoining guest room, a small night light plugged into its outlet that gently highlighted the cream colored walls and ceiling. It had originally been his work studio before their son, Yunho, was born back in March. Now it functioned as a nursery, though it had remained completely vacant until that very night, their son finally being old enough to leave their bedside and sleep in his own room. And while Hongjoong noted that the seven-month-old slept peacefully despite his obvious separation, his mother seemed to struggle with the split as he found Seonghwa's shadowy figure slumped against the wooden framing of Yunho's crib; sound asleep.

His husband was seated on the floor, legs straight out before him as his hip pressed into the oaken base: hands pooled limply across his lap. His chin sank towards his chest as he slept, neck bent at an awkward angle that would most likely hurt in the morning; his dark bangs hanging loosely over his face. The mattress inside their son's cot was the perfect height for the twenty-four-year-old to easily watch the slow rise and fall of his breathing, to make sure that he remained safe and comfortable while he slept. Hongjoong could only imagine Seonghwa's observant gaze carefully watching the boy, utterly content with the peaceful sight as he willingly stayed up late into the night just to ease his own heart; eventually dozing off for himself without evening knowing.

The younger quietly lowered himself down to the male's level, their knees touching as he reached out to place a hesitant hand along his shoulder; patting softly.

"Bunny?"

He whispered, watching as his husband's dark eyelashes fluttered in response, but failed to fully open. Slow, even breaths continued to rush past his lips in gentle puffs, his features perfectly smooth in his rest. Hongjoong tapped him once more, putting a bit more force behind the gesture as he noticed the other's fingers twitch briefly in his lap, flexing and bunching into the navy fabric of his pajamas. A soft inhale gradually filled his lungs as Seonghwa sluggishly lifted his head up from his chest, his shoulders instinctively scrunching up with a satisfying stretch. He blinked slowly at the faint light that filled the room, pupils adjusting as he looked around in an obvious post-slumber confusion; a crease forming between his brows.