Fic: Second Childhood; Epilogue

[fillupmyheart]

Second Childhood; Epilogue
PG-13; EunHae; Fluff/Romance
They met just as little boys do, over action figurines and imaginary explosions. What they don't expect is for it to last.

Henry padded into the room softly, tip toeing so he wouldn't cause a commotion and alert anybody outside. He had been planning this secret mission for awhile now. The coveted treasures stood on a shelf just out of reach and he looked around the room hopefully for any stool or chair. It had taken a whole lot of waiting before there wasn't anybody around to watch him and he had to make as much of this chance as he could.

Dragging over a desk chair, he clambered upon it, stretching towards the shelf. His fingers were just a little short though and he ended up knocking the toys off the shelf.

The loud noise resounded throughout the room and he winced.

The door opened almost immediately and Victoria came rushing in. 'Henry! What do you think you're doing on that chair! Get down before you get hurt!' She stood with her hands on her hips and Henry knew she was really angry.

'But Mama - '

'No buts! It's so dangerous, you could have gotten hurt.'

'I'm sorry Mama,' little Henry pouted and wrapped his tiny arms around Victoria's neck before being carried off the chair.

Hyukjae poked his head around the door curiously. 'Is something wrong?'

'I think Henry might have knocked some of your toys off the shelf,' Victoria winced, before resuming glaring at little Henry, who hid his face in her neck. 'Sorry.'

'That's okay, you had better take him outside and make sure he didn't hurt himself,' Hyukjae shuffled into the room slowly, pushing the desk chair back to where it was originally and picking up the Iron Man figurine fondly. He brushed the dust off the action figurine, stretching up to replace it on the shelf, next to where his old Wolverine figurine stood. Silence filled the room as he simply stood there, staring at the toys as he was wont to do throughout the day before he smiled and left the room.

He made his way out to the living room, holding his back slowly since he seemed to have overstretched it while reaching for the shelf, smiling as he saw both Henry and Amber bouncing boisterously on Donghae's lap. Donghae always did have a way with children. Any children at all.

'Victoria dumped them on me because she had to go make lunch,' Donghae said in response to Hyukjae's questioning look. He didn't look bothered at all as little Henry pulled at his hair and Amber jumped on his thigh. Being so considerate, Hyukjae decided to rescue him, picking up little Amber and jolting in surprise as she scrambled onto his shoulders. 'They're a handful aren't they?'

'You love them anyway, you've always loved kids anyway,' Hyukjae grinned. Amber pulled on his hair and he winced a little, before reaching up to tickle her. She roared in laughter and beat her little fists against his head.

'Kids!' Victoria stood in the doorway brandishing a spatula. 'Stop climbing over your grandparents!'

Henry and Amber climbed off Hyukjae and Donghae, thoroughly chastised and they sat on the sofa, a woebegone expression on their face. Hyukjae rubbed at his head sadly; he was pretty sure Amber had plucked out the last few dark hairs on his head he had left. He was really going to fulfil the phrase 'old and grey' soon. Beside him, Donghae cooed and made to get up to comfort them but Victoria was up and blocking their way in a second.

'I told you not to pamper them anymore Papa,' Victoria frowned, directing it towards Donghae and Hyukjae grinned. Donghae would never ever stop being soft with children, it was something he had found out when they had first adopted Victoria. It wasn't much of a surprise really. Donghae had always loved kids. Sure enough, Donghae had spoilt her rotten, buying her this and that and every single item of clothing, toy or snacks she wanted. It had been Hyukjae who had to step in to set limits and boundaries. With Donghae pouting along with Victoria when he had to stop them from buying a pretty princess outfit complete with wings and tiara one day, it was like Hyukjae was dealing with two children. He'd ended up paying for the entire outfit plus pink glitter shoes. 'And you Daddy,' Victoria rounded on Hyukjae this time and he held up his hands defensively. 'You're not helping either by just watching.'

'Hey, don't look at me, you weren't complaining much in the past when all you had to do was smile and Donghae would buy you anything you wanted, even that VW Beetle car for your twenty-first.'

Victoria gaped at them. 'That was - that was different! I'm your baby daughter, you and Papa should spoil me all you want.' She pouted and Hyukjae ruffled her hair playfully.

Donghae had sneaked off by this point, cuddling with the two children on the couch and tickling them, judging by the muffled giggles Hyukjae was hearing. It was unfair really, Donghae had none of the arthritis Hyukjae had. If he had been the one to try and sneak off, Victoria would have heard his creaking bones from two houses away. Donghae always said it was karma for teasing him so much.

'Why can't we spoil our baby grandchildren?' Donghae hugged the two kids close to his chest and they left kisses and smooches all over his face. 'It's the same concept!'

Victoria gaped at them, spatula held loosely by her side. 'That's different!'

'No, they're your children, you're our child, so therefore, be extension, they're kind of our children.'

'But - '

Hyukjae interjected, amused beyond belief at Donghae's logic. 'The term is grandchildren, sweetheart.' He dropped a kiss onto her head and she sniffed affectionately.

'You're impossible, Daddy,' Victoria huffed, turning back towards the kitchen with a poorly hidden smile.

'Yay!' Donghae cheered. He pulled the children into his lap again, stroking their hair gently. 'Shall Grandpapa take you both out for ice cream?'

Hyukjae shook his head fondly, and shuffled into the kitchen as the living room erupted into yells and screams for the different flavours of ice cream. Not even old age could stop Donghae from being a child.

-

Hyukjae and Donghae waved off the noisy bunch a few hours later and Hyukjae groaned as he made his way to the couch, sinking into it slowly as he felt his joints scream in pain.

'Is it acting up again?' Donghae asked softly, rubbing at Hyukjae's knees as he sat down next to him.

'Nothing out of the ordinary,' he smiled and pulled Donghae close. 'Come here.'

Donghae took off his glasses and tucked his head under Hyukjae's arm familiarly, an action borne out of years and years of intimacy. Brushing his fingers across Hyukjae's arm, he traced a vein that hadn't been so prominent a few years ago, but was now because of the toil age had taken on both their bodies. Similarly, Hyukjae's hand that was stroking the side of Donghae's face brushed across wrinkles and fine lines, skin that had previously been youthful and soft, now crinkled and thin. 'You know what Henry and Amber told me earlier?'

'Hm?'

'Amber said Wolverine was lame.'

Hyukjae spluttered even as Donghae burst out in laughter, his elbow accidentally hitting Hyukjae in the gut. Hyukjae groaned, 'Don't do that, I'm too old for roughhousing.'

'It was an accident,' Donghae whined and Hyukjae chuckled. Donghae was still a whiner, even as a grandparent. 'But anyway, Amber said Iron Man was cooler,' he grinned and Hyukjae's heart surged with the same warmth he had felt the first time he told Donghae he loved him. 'I always knew she had good taste. Henry still likes Wolverine though,' he frowned, clearly displeased.

'And I always knew there was a reason I liked that kid better.'

'You're still too biased.'

'And you're still too cute,' Hyukjae poked Donghae in the side, before leaning down slowly to kiss him. It wasn't as smooth as it was when they were young. Lips were thinner, not as full as when they were in the prime of the youth but they now kissed with a familiarity, a love that had matured through the years and a passion that had not died down even after all this time. Donghae sighed happily, his hand still coming up to press at Hyukjae's jaw gently, a habit that he had never grown out of.

'I love you, you old geezer.'

'Hey,' Hyukjae was wounded but took Donghae's hand gratefully as he stood up slowly. It really wasn't his fault that his family genetics coded him to have arthritis in his old age but he still accepted the help thankfully. They held on tightly to each other as they made their way to the bedroom. When they once would have bounded, laughing and giggling, maybe carrying each other, to the bedroom, they now walked slowly and comfortably, happy enough to have each other's presence by their side.

They undressed each other slowly and picked out nightwear for each other, a nightly ritual they started when they had first moved in together.

Lying on the bed with Donghae tucked into his side, Hyukjae raised a shaky hand, wincing as his joints ached when he reached for the blanket at the end of their bed, pulling it up and over them. Donghae placed his glasses on their bedside table, squinting through the blur until he focused on Hyukjae's face. 'Short-sightedness is a bitch.'

Hyukjae laughed. 'Sungmin hyung always did try and make you eat your carrots.'

Donghae wrinkled his nose. 'They're still vegetables, and gross. Oh and speaking of Sungmin hyung, he wants us to go over this weekend to his house for tea. Kyuhyun and Yunho hyung are going to be there as well.'

Nodding, Hyukjae reached for the light switch next to their bed, plunging them into darkness. 'We haven't seen them in awhile have we?'

Donghae hummed and they lay there in silence for awhile. 'Hey,' Donghae finally broke it. 'Remember the time Yunho hyung tried to kill you?'

Hyukjae waited a beat. 'Which time?'

'The time after we first had sex at the beach house.'

'How could I forget?'

Donghae chuckled. 'I'm just saying. That was definitely a holiday never to forget.'

Definitely, Hyukjae cast his thoughts back almost forty odd years back to when they were still teenagers. Yunho practically had to be leashed to Sungmin to stop trying to kill Hyukjae in his sleep, Kyuhyun had kissed Sungmin in a drunken haze until they had both decided that no they definitely were not gay and Donghae had finally hit Yunho in the chest and told him to stop being a baby and accept that he was grown up. Definitely a holiday to remember.

The five of them didn't hang out that often anymore, but it was nice to catch up once in awhile.

Donghae's slowing of breath brought Hyukjae back to the present and he smiled, tracing the lines around Donghae's eyes.

'Sleepy?'

Donghae hummed and Hyukjae was transported back again to a time when they were just teenagers in love, knowing nothing better than the person next to them, knowing nothing of what the future held for them and he felt his heart tighten in his chest at how far they'd come.

'Sleep baby,' Hyukjae whispered and Donghae buried his face in Hyukjae's chest, snuffling adorably and Hyukjae caught himself before letting out a coo.

'I love you,' he mumbled.

'I love you too,' Hyukjae replied, his words muffled by Donghae's greying hair.

Their beloved action figurines sat on the shelf opposite their bed, and they were the first things they saw in the morning but not the last thing they saw when they went to bed. Because the last thing they saw before sleep were each other.

They might have been simple toys to other people, battered and worn, chipped and discoloured in places. But they were the toys that had brought them together. Just two boys with a love for superheroes and a heart for a friend, a best friend, a lover.

Hyukjae smiled at their toys before turning back to Donghae. Maybe someday, when they had passed, they would pass on the toys to Henry and Amber. They'd told Victoria the story many many times before when she was still growing up and wondering how her Daddy and Papa met, and someday maybe, hopefully she'd tell Henry and Amber too.

After all, their Iron Man and Wolverine toys were a team. They would never be separated.

And neither could Hyukjae and Donghae.

A/N: It's complete! Yay I'm so happy! I really enjoyed this fic I had so much fun writing all this sickening fluff and nonsense and I just really really loved it. Thank you to everybody who has read it and loved it too. Just thank you :) And I hope you guys have enjoyed this story ^^ Say thanks to Andy who gave me the plot <3