Rekindled From The Ashes

Happiness

Wooyoung and the stranger have been talking for well over a month now, and with the fall weather closing in Wooyoung used this as an opportunity to chase away his depression.

Anyone who tried to advance on him to go out, he'll push them away. They're not the stranger he's been fantasizing about. They're not the stranger who promises to keep Wooyoung happy. They're not the one person on his mind.

More than San here recently.

Wooyoung would always wake with a pep in his step every day, messaging the stranger from the time he woke up early, till he fell asleep late at night. Of course there were breaks where his stranger would be sleeping since he worked the night shift, but other than that the stranger still manages to put a smile on his face.

He decided to get out of the house one day, and go for a drive. Just to drive around and see what's going on in his neighborhood, he kind of felt bad for not doing this sooner. Along the way, he found himself driving to Yeosang and Hongjoong's house, pulling in to see Yeosang is home.

If he is home, that means Juno is home as well. Maybe even Harper.

He parks the car and heads up to the house, knocking loud enough he heard squeals on the other side of the door. He smiles when the door opens and Yeosang stands there in shock, "Wooyoung? What are you doing here?"

"I was just taking a drive around the neighborhood and I thought I'd come by and see you all," Wooyoung giggles.

"Youngie!" Juno screams and runs to the door, Wooyoung smiles and takes the boy in his arms, "Youngie I miss you!"

"I missed you too buddy," Wooyoung smiles, kissing his cheek. He looks up to Yeosang, "Can I come in?"

"O-Oh!" Yeosang nods, "Sure, sorry."

Wooyoung enters the home and sees many toys on the floor, and he smiles down at Juno, "Hey Buddy, how about we help mama and clean up our mess?"

"Otay," Juno nods and wiggles to be set down. Yeosang smiles as he races to pick up more toys than Wooyoung. Wooyoung knew how to always make cleaning a game. He would've been a wonderful mother.

Yeosang's smile falls as he watches them interact, Wooyoung's face always lit up when he was near Juno, but you could always see the pain in his eyes. Today he didn't see any pain, only happiness. Wooyoung felt nothing but happiness being near Juno and his smiley, dimpley face. His little laugh and how high pitched it was.

It also made his heart hurt.

Wooyoung places Juno on his hips, turning to Yeosang, "He's getting heavy, what are you feeding him?"

Yeosang laughs, "He eats constantly, no matter what you put in front of him he'll eat it. Especially steak," Yeosang rolls his eyes, "He attacks steak as if he won't ever eat it again."

"I love steak Youngie," Juno giggles, cupping Wooyoung's cheeks, "Do you like steak?"

"I love steak too," Wooyoung smiles, "Maybe with mommy's permission you can come over tonight and we'll make steak!"

Juno gasps, looking at Yeosang, "Mommy can I!?"

"It sounds fun baby but we have plans tomorrow," Yeosang's heart races, and Wooyoung frowns.

"What plans?"

"He gets his boosters tomorrow," Yeosang arches his eyebrow, "Something his parent has to take him for."

Wooyoung's face falls and he stands, "Oh... well that's fine. I might have a date anyway. I've been talking to this guy on this dating app for a while and I've not had the courage to ask him on a date yet.... I'm kinda scared..."

Yeosang sighs, "Well, I'm happy for you," he smiles, "But grow a pair and ask him on a date. It's about time you get back on the horse."

Wooyoung chuckles, "Yeah, I just wanted to stop by and see little man here since I left his party early." Yeosang nods, not saying anything more until Wooyoung sighs, turning to Juno, "Well little man, I need to get going I got other errands to run."

"No Youngie don't go," Juno pouts, "You just got here."

"I know baby but I gotta go," Wooyoung smiles sadly.

"Juno say bye to Youngie he's gotta go," Yeosang spoke sharply, making Wooyoung wince.

Juno pouts and wraps his arms around Wooyoung, his tiny, chubby hand pats Wooyoung's back, "I love you Youngie, stay the night with me tomorrow after my ouchies."

"It's up to mommy and daddy buddy," Wooyoung whispers, kissing Juno's cheek, "Be a good boy. I love you."

"Love you," Juno whines, watching with sad puppy dog eyes as Wooyoung stands and leaves their house.

Later that evening, Wooyoung had finished making his dinner and was talking to his stranger on the dating app when his phone started to ring in his hands. He frowns, maybe something was wrong and he needed to watch Juno? Or maybe they had a late date planned?

Either way, he answered and is met with silence, "Hello? Yeosang?"

".... I just don't want Juno to be taken from us..."

Wooyoung frowns, listening to the other line of the phone as there is more muffling down the line.

"He came over today and talked about taking Juno with him for the night...."

"Did you say no?"

"Well yeah, I'm not going to have the mother of our son take him from us-"

"You're the mother. Wooyoung isn't. He's just the one who carried Juno and gave him to us. We did everything from feeding, to dressing, to teaching him everything he knows now."

Wooyoung's heart shatters as he heard Yeosang sigh, "Here lately he's been happy and he's been more active around the kids... is it selfish of me to not want him to be happy and to stay away from Juno? I'm just scared he'll be happy and he'll try to take Juno from us."

There was more muffling before Yeosang sniffles, "I don't want him to take my baby."

Wooyoung hangs the phone up and sets it on the counter, his hands were shaking and his eyes started pouring hot tears down his cheeks. He sobs, gripping his chest and falling to his knees, his body wracks with the sobs escaping his mouth.

He stands shakily and walks to his room, slamming the door shut and crawling in bed. He cries into his sheets, the words in his head tearing him apart as he thought of them over and over.

Wooyoung's not his mother. I'm his mother.

He just carried Juno.

I don't want him taking my baby.

***