“Ah. Ahhh…… Jadu-ya, we woke up at 3 AM. Uju~ No, Leo-ya. Can’t we sleep just a little more?”
Siwoo mumbled, burying his face in his pillow at Leo’s resounding cries. Just when he thought he’d get used to it, childcare was something he never quite got used to. Evan was always by Leo’s side, who had to undergo thorough examinations immediately after birth. Since the test results showed no major health problems, Leo stayed in the same hospital room as Siwoo. Although he spent most of his time in the incubator and a doctor always had to be on standby, Leo endured well.
Whether it was due to the shock from the accident or something else, Evan, who hadn’t been able to sense Leo’s pheromones, accurately detected Leo’s pheromones a few days later, just like he had initially.
Even when the doctor made a beta diagnosis right in front of them, Leo released his pheromones without hiding them. Though he was sleeping in the incubator, sucking his finger, unlike his peacefully sleeping appearance, his pheromones contained discomfort at the doctor’s words, as if something was so dissatisfying.
Even with the beta diagnosis, neither Evan nor Siwoo said anything. Why would something like secondary gender matter so much—what was more important now was that Leo grew up healthy.
Unable to leave Leo alone in the hospital, Siwoo also spent quite a long time in the hospital. Evan told him to rest comfortably at home, saying he would frequently go back and forth to the hospital, but he absolutely couldn’t do that. After the accident, numerous rumors swirled around Evan and Siwoo, who didn’t reveal a single strand of hair.
In the midst of all that, the Lewis family started lawsuits against the paparazzi, and many things became complicated. And as soon as the doctor decided that the now-healthy Leo could take a long-distance flight, they came to Korea without any regrets. Whether it was the power of money or because the lawsuit was in progress, not a single article appeared in the media. Of course, they did enter the country in strict secrecy.
It had been a week since they had fully entered the childcare war.
Siwoo was belatedly realizing what it meant to be skin and bones.
Although they had stayed together at the hospital, there were always doctors or nurses stationed there, so it wasn’t an environment where Siwoo could step up and do anything. Though Evan always said he was with him, it was hazy when he had last slept properly since taking charge of childcare.
“Sleep more. I’ll take Jadu.”
His real name was Leo Lewis. His prenatal name was Jadu. His Korean name was Uju, but Siwoo and Evan still called him Jadu.
Evan’s large hand patted Siwoo’s back a few times as he muttered in a hoarse voice, and at the sound of the blanket rustling followed by the sound of him soothing and picking up Leo, Siwoo curled his body into a ball.
“From tomorrow, I’ll sleep with Jadu.”
Siwoo overlapped his hand on Evan’s, who was holding Leo stably with one arm and stroking his hair with the other hand, and pulled that hand to his cheek.
“Is Jadu important? Am I important? I don’t want to sleep alone without you.”
“……That seems like an inappropriate thing to say on a morning when Jadu is crying, am I misunderstanding?”
Siwoo, who had been rubbing his cheek against Evan’s warm hand, simultaneously felt his voice change and his eyes flew open. Then, seeing Evan’s front standing before the bed, he let out a small sigh.
“You’re thinking such things when Jadu is crying!”
“What does that have to do with anything. That’s why I’m saying let’s hire a nanny. If you have to watch Jadu no matter what, let’s borrow someone else’s hands at least at night. You can watch him during the day.”
Evan, who had naturally withdrawn his hand from Siwoo’s to readjust Leo in his arms, met eyes with Siwoo, who was staring at him with his already round eyes even rounder. At the same time he saw the sleep that had been crowding those large eyes disappear and begin to sparkle, Evan slightly turned his body.
“Our Jadu is very hungry, right? Let’s go quickly and eat with daddy, change your diaper, and have fun playing.”
Just because Leo was there didn’t mean Siwoo wasn’t speaking—he was glaring with eyes containing all the curses he could muster. Even after becoming an omega and recognizing that he was an omega, Siwoo hadn’t been able to control his pheromones. So naturally, his emotions were fully contained in them, and thanks to that, Evan also acted tactfully.
However, after this accident when his pheromones temporarily disappeared, Siwoo became able to control his pheromones on his own. Evan, who had received much help from the emotions mixed in the pheromones, had to act more nimbly, and now was such a timing.
He had temporarily hidden his pheromones in case his extremely angry emotions were transmitted to Leo and caused problems.
“Hey! You…….”
Pillows stuck one after another into Evan’s broad back as he soothed Leo and went outside so he wouldn’t be startled, but there wasn’t the slightest shake in his arms holding Leo. Since Siwoo’s words were cut off at the same time as he closed the bedroom door, Evan let out a small sigh.
“See? Your mom is really scary, right? That’s why we have to live tactfully and well. Son, do you understand what daddy is saying?”
Evan met eyes with Leo, who was grinning brightly from the moment he was held in his arms as if he had never cried. His small fern-like hands flailed in the air. He thought he was good at handling babies, but when he met Leo, who was so very small, he couldn’t even hold him carelessly in case he got hurt. Evan held Leo’s still-small fist between his thumb and index finger and shook it slightly.
“Kyaa…….”
When Leo burst into laughter with a small sound, Evan, who had been laughing along, glanced at the bedroom. It had already been a week since they came to Korea. Since they started preparing right on the day of the accident, there was no problem coming to Korea.
The country house in Gapyeong overlooking a beautiful river was the optimal place to live avoiding people’s eyes. Thanks to Siwoo, who wanted the three of them to live quietly from the start, they were spending war-like days. If only Siwoo would acknowledge someone’s help here, he had already selected people from among those who had managed the house in England who wanted to work in Korea as well, so he just needed to call them in immediately.
Although he said he helped a lot, seeing the sensitive Siwoo lose weight in just a few days, it seemed that just waiting for his decision wasn’t the answer.
“Shall our Jadu try eating now?”
Evan, who entered the kitchen, put Leo down in the bouncer in one corner of the kitchen and started preparing formula. As Leo lay in the bouncer, grabbed his feet with both hands and played around, his laughter grew louder, and when Evan started shaking the formula mixed with warm water, Leo’s sounds grew even louder.
The hands that had just been holding his small feet reached toward him.
“You’re looking at the bottle right now, not me, right? You’re not asking me to hold you, but to give you the bottle.”
Evan, who plopped down in front of the bouncer, held out the bottle to Leo slightly, then quickly moved the bottle when he tried to grab it. As Leo’s fern-like hands followed the bottle, a bright smile formed on Evan’s face.
“Baaaa~~~~~~”
“Hm? Food?”
“Kya…… Bau……. Abu…….”
Every time Leo’s cute lips moved, onomatopoeia poured out.
“Do you like daddy?”
Leo’s brightly smiling face slightly scrunched up, and the babbling that had been full of laughter at first began to be tinged with irritation. That was just what showed on the surface. The emotions mixed in Leo’s pheromones now were changing beyond irritation to anger.
“Stop playing around with the baby. How can you never give him the bottle right away during the day. That’s why Jadu doesn’t like you.”
Smack-.
In the end, Evan, who got hit on the back by Siwoo, watched as Siwoo picked up Leo from the bouncer, snatched the bottle from his hand, and sat down in the rocking chair in the living room. Leo, whose mood improved immediately as if he had never been irritated, smiled happily while tightly held in Siwoo’s arms and drank his milk. Evan, who had been watching this, pouted his lips.
Not just Leo, but he wanted some attention too.
“Evanie.”
As morning sunlight poured onto the rocking chair, Siwoo, who had raised his hand to shade Leo’s eyes in case they might be dazzled, called his name, and Evan slowly approached them.
“I want to eat spaghetti.”
When he saw Siwoo looking up at him while raising his head and speaking softly, a hollow laugh came out. If you smile with such a pretty face and say that, it’s cheating.
What couldn’t he do for Siwoo, who was holding a son who looked exactly like him and saying he wanted to eat spaghetti?
“I always say this, but how can I beat you. What else do you want to eat? Since I’m going out, I should buy everything. Everything here is good, but the mart is too far.”
“That’s true, right? Then lamb chops and a salad with burrata cheese?”
“Let’s eat brunch simply and light charcoal outside for lamb chops for dinner?”
“That sounds good. Since the weather is nice too.”
While the two were talking, when Leo finished his milk, Evan picked up Leo from Siwoo’s arms. He leaned him against his chest and slowly patted his back while looking out the window.
Beyond the lush green lawn, he could see the river flowing leisurely while emitting brilliant light.
“Coco.”
“Yeah.”
“Here…… doesn’t it look like that dorm where we first met? You were just looking out the window while everyone else was greeting each other because you were shy around people.”
“You still remember that?”
Siwoo, who had gotten up from the rocking chair and was stretching, laughed out loud at Evan’s words. It was now a precious memory they could all share with laughter.
“Since it came to mind, let me ask. Couldn’t you hear me back then?”
“What couldn’t I hear? You want coffee too, right?”
Leaving Evan, who was still pacing by the window, Siwoo went into the kitchen and looked for coffee beans first. During the time he was carrying Leo, he couldn’t drink coffee, but these days he was drinking it to his heart’s content. Coffee in the morning was the best after all.
“I clearly said the back of your hand. Why did you put out your palm when you heard me?”
Siwoo, who had been pressing the button on the coffee machine, leaned against the sink at the laughter bursting out. He still remembers that? He’s bringing up that story now while burping our baby? While laughing and checking Evan’s expression, Siwoo this time sat down on the spot, holding his stomach as it hurt from laughing.
He thought it was just a question casually thrown while reminiscing, but Evan’s expression was too serious.
On top of that, when he even confirmed, “Really, why did you do that?” who would think that person lived through countless regressions?
“In case you’d like me.”
Still crouching in the kitchen, Siwoo answered honestly.
“……Really can’t live with you.”
Siwoo, who had been staring at Evan covering his face with one hand, slowly got up and approached Evan closely. Then he stood on tiptoe and brought his lips close to Evan’s ear.
“Evanie, you really want to play a lot with me. Then, should we ask Leo’s grandma to watch him for a bit?”
Come to think of it, following the hospital life, they had been spending hectic time coming to Korea and adapting. During that time, we were too distant from each other. Right? Siwoo’s hand, grinning brightly, touched Evan’s member, which wasn’t hidden at all by the comfortable training pants.
