"I'm sorry…" Minho's voice came out fragile.
Suho exhaled quietly. The anger in him loosened its grip. No matter what, Minho was still his dongsaeng.
"Don't be sorry to me, Minho," he said gently. "I understand why you did." His gaze softened. "But think about Haraboji. How do you think he'll feel knowing this huge happiness was kept from him for more than a year?"
Minho and Sora both looked up, struck.
"So many things went wrong this past year," Suho continued, voice low and sincere. "I get that. But imagine how much joy this news would've brought to the family back then. A new life… that kind of happiness heals more than you think."
Silence fell, heavy but thoughtful.
Then Suho smiled. That familiar, warm, approachable smile that always made things feel lighter, safer."Don't be anxious," he said. "You still have time. Tell everyone properly. Trust me… this news will make everyone genuinely happy."
Minho and Sora exchanged a glance, then nodded slowly. Their smiles came back, hesitant but real.
Suho's expression suddenly shifted, eyes lighting up."Okayyy… enough serious talk with you both," he said, reaching out again. "Now let me steal some attention from this cutie pie."
The baby blinked up at him, gurgling softly.
"Aigo… our cutie went after his cutie appa," Suho said, gently pinching the baby's tiny nose. The little one responded with a soft giggle, light and fleeting, and the room warmed instantly. Smiles bloomed on every face.
Hauen's gaze lingered on Suho.
He had become so effortlessly adorable, almost boyish, the moment the baby was in his arms. The way his voice softened, the way his eyes curved with wonder. Her heart tightened painfully. A memory surfaced without warning. Their baby was just four months fetus when they had lost it. How happy he would have been… if they hadn't lost it. He would have held their baby just like this.
Her eyes burned, but she blinked it away.
She stayed quiet, watching her husband speak to the little soul as if the world beyond them did not exist. Suho admired the baby for a few more moments, murmuring softly, until a soft yawn escaped from the tiny mouth and the tiny eyelids began to droop, lashes trembling with sleep.
"Aigo… I think he's sleepy," Suho said fondly.
"He was crying the whole way here from the hospital," Sora replied. "He must be exhausted."
Suho smiled at the tiny face, eyes half-closed, lips slightly parted. Unable to resist, he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to the baby's nose.
"He's so cute," he said, voice full of affection. "I really love him."
Minho smiled at that. "Hyung… at least now can I finally get rid of that ridiculous 'cutie' name you and Sojun hyung gave me?"
Suho chuckled instantly. "Not at all. You're still our cutie. For this lifetime."
"Ani, hyung. Not again," Minho complained, half-heartedly.
Suho laughed, squeezing his cheeks one last time. Sora smiled at their bickering. With all the bickering around them, Hauen felt herself fading into the background again. She said nothing, simply holding his arm. Suho turned to her suddenly, as if he had heard her unspoken thoughts.
"Do you want to hold him?" he asked softly.
Minho and Sora's smiles faltered slightly.
Hauen looked at Suho, then at Minho and Sora. Her gaze drifted to the baby. Her heart yearned, aching to hold him, but she held herself back. Slowly, she looked back at Suho and shook her head with a gentle smile.
"Ani… he's so small and fragile, I'm scared. What if I hurt him?" she said softly. "He's sleeping peacefully. Let's not disturb him."
Suho didn't look away. His eyes stayed on hers, reading every unspoken emotion, as if he had full access to the places she tried to lock away. He smiled, soft and knowing, then turned to Minho and Sora.
"She's scared, you know," he said calmly. "She doesn't want to hurt anyone."
Sora lowered her gaze.
Suho carefully passed the baby into Sora's arms. "Here, take him. He's sleeping," he said gently.
Sora accepted the baby, cradling him close. Suho looked at the tiny, sleeping face one last time, his smile lingering with quiet affection.
"Alright then… we should go," he said, reaching for Hauen's hand and holding it firmly, possessively gentle.
Minho let out a small, awkward chuckle. He could still feel the weight of Suho's authoritative presence, calm yet unyielding.
"Once again… we're sorry, hyung," he said.
Suho looked at him steadily. "Don't apologise to me," he replied, patting Minho's shoulder. "Apologise to the ones who deserve it."
Minho's heart skipped at the quiet firmness in his words.
Suho offered a final, composed smile. "Take care," he said, then gently but decisively tugged Hauen closer. "Let's go, Jagi."
Hauen walked beside him, her steps naturally matching his, and together they turned toward the car. They got in, the door closing with a soft thud. Moments later, the engine started, and Suho drove off without looking back.
Minho and Sora stood there for a moment longer, exchanging slow, thoughtful glances, letting out a relieved breath as the car disappeared down the road.
Suho drove on in silence, and Hauen kept looking at him. Just… looking. A small smile kept tugging at her lips, uninvited.
He felt it.
"Wae…?" he asked without turning his head. "What are you plotting now?"
She smiled wider, almost a chuckle escaping her. "Suddenly, Teddy started reading my thoughts too."
He glanced at her briefly, clearly fighting a smile. "Who said that?" he asked, eyes back on the road.
"Why does someone else need to say it?" she replied lightly. "This entire day, I saw it clearly. You were reading me line by line without me saying anything."
His lips pressed together, but his eyes betrayed him, warmth leaking through. "That's just a coincidence. I can't read you."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Liar."
He finally gave up, a quiet chuckle slipping out.
Hauen smiled, victorious. "See? I'm right. You really can read me… especially when I feel sad or low."
He finally looked at her properly, his gaze lingering. "Maybe," he said slowly, "because your eyes are way too expressive to hide anything."
She laughed softly. "That's kind of cheesy."
He smiled, unbothered. "It's true. I can tell what you're feeling just by looking into your eyes. I know you better."
Her smile softened. "Even after staying away from me for so long?" she asked gently.
He glanced at her again, his eyes warm, unguarded. "You were only physically away," he said. "You never left my mind. Or my heart. Or my memories. I never forgot you from there."
Her breath hitched. For a moment, words abandoned her. She simply looked at him, emotions rising quietly in her chest, too full to name.
Instead, she leaned closer and slipped her hand around his arm, holding it. Just that.
Suho smiled, eyes crinkling at the corners, noticing her small, wordless reaction.
And just like that, the road carried them home. They drove on, smiling, giggling softly, talking about nothing and everything. Hauen yawned in between, sleep tugging at her eyelids, yet she fought it, stubbornly staying awake.
By the time the penthouse lights appeared in the distance, they were still wrapped in their little world, hearts lighter, hands entwined, quietly choosing each other again.