It had been a busy few weeks, feeling as though he never really stayed in one place longer than a single night was definitely screwing with his head and pushing on his sanity. So he had done something he rarely ever did and cleared his schedule, he wasn't sick but he felt mentally drained to the point where he had spent the past few days just mulling around his apartment and watching TV shows that had ended. It was actually really nice taking a moment to breathe and while he had been alone in the apartment, he hadn't felt all that alone because he'd been chatting with Dae pretty much constantly. 

The discussions were usually about silly stuff, they talked about their favorite movies and shows and how they would change the endings to them if they had the chance. It was random check-ins just to see how one another were doing and just something to look forward to. Which for Yeon had been really good for grounding his mind while he dealt with all the crazy at work lately. Contracts had him pretty much with a constant headache and the end still didn't seem to be in sight, it felt frustrating not knowing where things were going and not having any control over making that happen. 

And speaking of frustration, he had definitely felt himself lacking in the bedroom too, ever since that first night in the mountaintops and once again in this very apartment, even the thought of anyone else felt lackluster and it wasn't for lack of trying. It almost made him want to be mad at Dae for drawing this platonic line between them but then he couldn't be mad because he had gained something incredibly important too. A friend he truly felt like he could be his raw and complete self with. It was a constant cycle he went through but he was so far managing it well, or as best he could given the circumstances he was faced with. 

He was halfway through an episode of some show about lawyers when his phone buzzed and without even looking he knew whose name to expect on the screen. What he didn't expect was a request to meet in the lobby but figuring he didn't have anywhere else to be right now the Valkyr got to his feet. He was dressed in comfortable jeans and a plain black t-shirt which he often wore when he didn't intend on going anywhere. He did consider changing into something else but he was sure Dae wouldn't mind a slightly sloppy appearance so he slipped on his shoes and headed into the elevator.

It didn't take him long to reach the lobby and he thanked his lucky stars that his elevator was one of the only ones working in the building right now, some weird power outage going on or something had made for a lot of angry residents the past few days, Dae included he supposed. When he saw the pale-haired male waiting for him across the room he didn't hesitate as he headed over. At first glance, Dae seemed a little nervous which made Yeon tilt his head to the side a little "What's with the sudden summoning? I'm a busy man you know" he teased it with a grin because the other male knew he'd always make time for him but his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a crying baby across the room and the sound of something metallic rolling across the floor until it hit his foot. 

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Things had been going surprisingly well for the Niveis. That's not even a lie or a sugarcoated way of him to phrase how things were going for him for the past few months. Everything seemed fine and Daehyun was just living in the moment. He had successfully managed to bring back his client in less than 48 hours and it had been a record for the snowy-haired male, especially when they put up quite the fight with the security personnel and hired bodyguards even. He had to admit it made him click his tongue in annoyance when he found out that he had to go through certain measures first before getting to him. It was worth it seeing as he needed an outlet to vent out on over his frustrations over the past few months. It started that day; the day he met a man who would later on become a strong confidant of his that he divulged in so many ways. He loved having him around and texting became so much easier when it was Yeon being the recipient too.

 It was clear that the elder Stormwind preferred the company of the blond a lot, he didn't even try to hide or deny it at all. This was hard for him to put a distance between them when he didn't even do that initially, but once he had drawn a platonic line between them to avoid them from getting involved again the same way they were before, he had to keep his words to himself. Friends don't sleep with each other. That had been the only thing bombarding his head every time he managed to gaze on him. That line was complicated because Dae found himself wanting to break it every single time the Valkyr is within the same room he was in, standing not far from himself, looking all charming and polished per usual. How could he even deny himself the chance to approach such a fine specimen? Boundaries. That's it. That's what he had established. Boundaries. Their friendship would be jeopardized if he had tried anything so he refrained himself from soliciting himself with such thoughts filling his head. 

But since Aeryn told him that drunken night, Dae had taken up the courage to tell Yeon about what he had thought about; a mutual agreement for them both. Purely consensual. Both sides getting what they want healthily without any of it potentially dispersing their friendship. It sounded too good to be true but Aeryn convinced him enough. He could still recall the words the Nephilim left him even though he was probably drunk off his ass, that time. It was why Dae got to the lobby after telling Yeon to come and meet him there. To discuss the details over, together. Unfortunately, the elevator was still under maintenance for about a week or more now, not that he counted since he had only been back for two days after his conquest at Finland for the search of his client who always did manage to find a worthy strategic spot to hide. He saw the maintenance notice plastered against the elevator which prompted the Niveis to walk through the stairs, oh well. 

While he was fiddling with his thumbs nervously having practiced the speech for this arrangement solely, he almost jumped when Yeon came over to greet him. God, even in his lazy clothes, he still looks good to him. "Well, busy man, I'm Daehyun Stormwind. If Yeonseok Lee can't make time for me, maybe I should find a new friend" he teased and was about to talk more when the piercing wailing of a baby crying rung across the lobby, and his eyes fell on the toy that rolled over to Yeon's feet. Dae crouched down to pick it up and stared at it in confusion, holding it up for Yeon to see, "Isn't this… A baby's toy?" he shook the tiny rattle a bit and followed the source of the crying which led his eyes to a woman struggling to keep the baby calm.p

Every time that he saw Dae he had to rein himself in, eyes focused on the other male and his snowy-colored hair which always looked lighter in artificial light, the way it settled on his forehead, just low enough to be annoying and cover his forehead. Dark but expressive eyes which usually expressed nonchalance except in those small moments where he would be taken by the idea of something and they would just light up. In truth, Daehyun was one of the most attractive men he had ever met and every time he saw him it always took everything he had not to get caught up in it. It wasn’t just his looks though, there was something about the way he held himself and that quiet confidence which said everything you needed to know without saying a single word.

And Yeon had never faced this predicament before, for one, no one had ever held his attention long enough to keep pulling him back in before and for two, he’d never tried to be friends and friends only with someone he was incredibly attracted to. It had varying success, he couldn’t stop himself from the odd flirty comment or allowing himself to bask in the other male’s appearance but so far he had left it at that and they had fallen into a somewhat comfortable relationship. Their friendship meant a lot to Yeon, to have someone who he felt understood him in a way others didn’t. He didn’t feel pressure to put on a show for Dae or be anything but himself and there was comfort in that which he was trying to hold on to.

Yeon had to laugh softly when Dae referred to him as busy man “I’m sure you have a line a mile long for that position” he teased back with a laugh, though he frowned when he felt a metallic object hit his foot, watching as Dae went to retrieve it. He glanced across the room seeing a mom with a baby in her arms, struggling to balance with a can of paint in one hand and a child in the other. She looked distressed and rightfully so considering the elevator was completely broken and she would need to walk up god knows how many stairs. He looked at Dae for a moment giving an apologetic smile before he jerked his chin towards the woman “Looks like the little rascal must have dropped it” he spoke softly before taking the initiative and heading over to her.

“Looks like you’ve got your hands full there” he spoke softly before offering his hand out to take the can of paint from her so she could rejig the squirming child in her arms to which she thanked him for. “How many floors have you gotta go up?” he asked with a concerned gaze to which when she responded 10 he was already certain he would help “Well then you take care of her and we’ll handle the heavy weight” he jerked his chin towards Dae, when she said she couldn’t possibly ask their help he shook his head “Nonsense, what are neighbors for?” he was already heading for the staircase before she could refuse again “So what are you painting?” he asked curiously keeping a slow pace so everyone could keep up with him.

When his eyes fell on Yeon who came out from the direction of his elevator, probably the only elevator that was still not undergoing any maintenance care because it was still fine, he swore he couldn't take his eyes off him. It was practically almost impossible not to notice every single quirk about the Valkyr who stood a good few meters away from him. His hair was slightly tousled, the flaxen color complimented his complexion that wasn't too pale but not too tanned either, it balanced well with his time spent indoors behind the office doors. His clothes weren't as prim as usual seeing as the Valkyr is usually dressed in high end fashion but he swore even his slacks were designer. Head to toe? He could pass like a model, that was one thing for sure. No matter how messy his hair may look and the way he rocked the casual look like no other while everyone else in the complex is panicking and pissed due to the maintenance day, Yeon still managed to look unbothered by the negative energy swirling around; for instance, the lobby. Then again, he noticed Yeon was almost always unbothered, it fascinated him.

 In Dae's case, he often looked unbothered because he was emotionless in that part, simply because he just couldn't be bothered to care about what people have to say. Yeon, was the opposite. While he was nervously fiddling with the helm of his shirt and his fingers, the presence of Yeonseok Lee totally rendered him speechless for a brief while. He totally managed to get a hold of his words later on, but was interrupted by the sound of the baby wailing and the tiny rattle that rolled over to Yeon's feet, the one that he picked up earlier. "Oh please, I have friends lining up... " Well, that's not really the truth but they both know the truth. He still had the rattle in his hand as he watched Yeon make his way to the woman holding a crying baby surrounded by things she probably needed to carry on her own. He was initially clicking his tongue in annoyance because he was interrupted for something he had been practicing for so many times in front of the mirror for the past 8 hours. 

That was until his eyes fell on the baby girl who had her lips jutted out in a pout while sobbing, he trailed from behind the Valkyr and shook the rattle in front of the baby with a smile, "I think you dropped this" he then gave it back to the baby by putting it in its tiny hand, which tugged on his heart when it wrapped it's tiny hand around his pinky. His eyes softened the same way his heart warned up at the generous move Yeon did and rushed over to pick up a few of the things to help but made sure to wait for the mother so he could walk behind her because he wanted to be sure she wouldn't fall behind from exhaustion and okay perhaps he wanted to see more of the baby. When asked what she was painting, she responded to Yeon's question by saying it was to decorate the baby's room since she just got back from her mother in law's place. "She's cute. What's her name?" Dae asked softly, his eyes never leaving the baby girl who stared back at him with equal interest. He saw a few stickers in the box and chuckled softly before taking one out to wave it in front of Yeon who turned around to face them. 

There was a joke at his office which often went around about how Yeon was generally not affected by anything and he supposed to an extent they were right, at least on the outside he was very nonchalant to the world around him. He had always tried to take an approach of planning his life and what he wants to do but also allowing that plan to shift and develop based on things that happened in life. Yeon tried to be as adaptive and understanding as he possibly could be and make the most of the opportunities around him, so when someone asked him if he wanted to meet for coffee or spend the evening chatting, that was something he tried to say yes to. He couldn’t always make it happen and he was guilty of neglecting friends at times but generally, he tried his best to be there for them in any way he could be.

Which is why it hadn’t even been a question when Dae asked him to meet him, in fact, Yeon never even asked him why, just told him he would be right there and now here he was, gazing up at the taller male for a moment. There was something off about Dae today though, the usual cool exterior melting away a little and Yeon even noticed the way he was fidgeting as though something was making him nervous. He was tempted to ask about it but he wasn’t quite sure how you asked someone like Daehyun if they were worried about something “Of course you do” he teased back to his words before heading across the room to investigate what was happening with the mom and baby.

He was busy offering his help so he didn’t really notice what Dae was doing until he saw him holding out the rattle in front of the little girl who was watching him with big expressive eyes, it was a really sweet moment, especially when she reached out for his hand rather than the toy, he was speechless for a moment, just smiling at the two of them before the conversation moved forward and they headed for the stairs. “And you picked the perfect shade of purple” he commended as he looked down at the paint can he was holding which matched the baby’s outfit. Crystal, she had responded to Dae’s question about the baby’s name, which he thought was a really sweet name. “Is it just you?” he asked curiously to which she responded that her husband passed during military service so it was just her, he responded by giving his condolences for her loss.

Seeing the stickers Dae held up Yeon laughed softly “You would find the unicorn stickers in there huh?” he grinned slightly and when the mom asked how they knew each other he grinned slightly “Neighbors and friends, friends first though” he looked up at Dae and winked as if to imply what she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her and when they arrived at the 10th floor he let her lead the way to the apartment. When she opened the door, he immediately noticed how run down and tired the place looked and understood the need for the paint, he glanced over at Dae for a moment with a curious gaze to see his reaction to it all.

When he texted Yeon to meet him at the lobby earlier today, Dae didn't expect an automatic answer that lines up with a yes. Technically, he knew today was an off day for the Valkyr, despite how busy the other male can be, Dae kept his schedules lined up so he knew when or when not to bother him, he had to be sure, after all. So when Yeon told him he'd be down in a while, he wad totally taken aback by the entire process and had to remind himself to make himself proper and not fidgeting like a trainwreck, which he was sure that was how he looked like right now. He ran his fingers through his pale light locks and brushed against the helm of his jacket a few times over the past 5 minutes. Oh, he's nervous, alright. The sight of the Valkyr had surprised him because he wasn't sure if that was him being biased or not, because goddamn. The baby girl took the attention away from Yeon, he definitely had to admit that. 

While Dae wasn't all occupied with the Valkyr taking a headstart in front, he sure was enamoured by the baby girl that gurgled cutely while holding onto his pinky instead of the rattle that he had offered before. The baby girl that he had known the name to be Crystal from the mother's courtesy of answering his previous question regarding the name given to the cute little creature that he wouldn't take his eyes off. He spared an apologetic glance at the woman who said her husband had passed away during military service. That was unfortunate. Poor baby and wife. When Yeon pointed out that he would find unicorn stickers in there, Dae huffed playfully and allowed his hand to rummage through the stickers stored inside the box and pulled out a rainbow unicorn sticker, "You bet Crystal here has a liking towards magical creatures who are able to grant her wishes" he snickered wryly and placed it back while making his way to the 10th floor that surprising took less than intended time to arrive. 

His throat went dry immediately as soon as Yeon answered her question about them knowing each other as friends first, the two of them knowing perfectly well how that went down to start with. The wink from the Valkyr did make him slightly flustered to which he dismissed teasingly with a laugh. He wasn't exactly wrong, was he? The elder Stormwind quickly rushed inside with the things in his possession and placed it down on the carpeted floor before taking a look at the interior, he had always had a liking to designing, he draws a few buildings to help him memorize a few layouts his clients would be at, once upon a time. He had inadvertently found another liking then. Not that he thought much about it.

 A frown creased his features as he clicked his tongue lightly, hands pressed against his hips as his eyes scoured the entire room, "Well, looks like you earned yourself a helper today, madam. Helpers, anyhow" he spared Yeon a mischievous grin that stated he was going to drag him in this endeavor too seeing as he wasn't about to go down alone. Besides, his interior senses are tingling badly because he wanted to decorate the baby's room above everything else. He stepped aside and pushed the door ajar, which wrote baby's room, only to find it was completely bare. "I can get started on this" he pointed a bit giddily, "That is, if you don't mind. You look tired and exhausted from carrying the relentless baby, and from your slouching posture earlier, I'm assuming you are having a back ache too. Sit down and take a breather, madam. We can handle it from here" he beckoned for Yeon to come join him as he eyed the other room.

It occurred to Yeon that he’d never really seen the way Dae was around other people before, even that time they had run into Han and Jae, things had escalated rather quickly and both of them had left before Yeon got much of a chance to see how Dae acted around Jae. So seeing the way he was practically doting over the young child made him smile. Dae had this aura which often gave people the impression he was unapproachable Yeon was sure but in the short time he had let him into his life he’d seen so many likable sides to him and this was just another one to add to the list. “I think anyone could use a few wishes in their life” he responded with a grin, his eyes meeting the wide eyes of the child who was now staring at him too, Yeon smiled shyly and pulled a silly face at her before turning his attention back to the mom.

Yeon couldn’t help but grin at the way Dae responded to him calling them friends, especially the way he laughed off the wink sent in his direction, while they didn’t cross that line anymore he quite enjoyed being able to set the other male on edge just a little and make him ever so slightly flustered. By the time they headed into the small apartment on the 10th floor, he could see the mom was pretty exhausted. He stepped inside and was about to set down the paint can he was carrying when he heard Dae talk. Well, there was a surprise.

Especially because Dae offered his own help and then proceeded to add Yeon to the list of helpers which made him let out a soft chuckle “Well luckily I wore my painting clothes” he teased softly and nodded, it was a nice thing to do and it really would be great to see this place looking a little less empty and hotel-like. The mom seemed hesitant to accept their help but Yeon dismissed it with a smile “We were planning on going out for coffee, so if you’d offer us a cup of coffee in return then we can chat and it’s basically the same thing right” he headed into the room labeled as the baby’s room and looked around at the empty seeming white walls. He took out the paintbrushes and the protecting covering from the box Dae had brought up for her and started laying it down on the floor so it wouldn’t stain the wooden beams.

She headed off towards the kitchen to make a couple of coffees, Yeon got so caught up in the moment he forgot he didn’t really actually want coffee but got to work on taping down the protective covering and laying out the brushes so they could turn this room purple “I never knew you liked kids” he commented softly as he glanced over at Dae, there was so mistaking that look of bliss on the Niveis’ face when the baby had grabbed onto his finger like that. He liked kids too but he never really got the chance to hold one or anything so he would be worried about dropping them or something equally ridiculous “Let’s keep it between us that these painting clothes are worth about $400” he chuckled softly under his breath as he pried open the paint can and then glanced over at the pale-haired male “Right well this was your idea so you can tell me the plan” he commented with a grin, it was clear he was all in, even if he sounded a little apprehensive.

Daehyun never saw himself anywhere near the characteristics of somehow who was family-oriented, or wanted a family of his own one day. He had Mirae, his biological sister and that was enough for him. The thought of having a little one in his future? How could that ever cross his head when the snowy-haired Niveis has never even had a relationship with anyone to begin with? He only ever slept around here and there. One night stands. No commitments and no attachments whatsoever. But god, does he have a soft spot for little kids who he could coddle. "And what would a small child like you wish for if you ever were given one hm?" he cooed softly as his eyes twinkled mischievously at the Valkyr, though his question may have seen to be directed to Crystal, his eyes were pretty much fixated on Yeon hence the mischievous glint in his dark hues. The two of them may have drawn the line between them, well, he did, not the Valkyr, but still the flirting game did not end.

 Dae enjoyed playing it around and he was sure the Valkyr did too, especially when he could get a glimpse of a rare flustered Niveis. They would often bring about the innuendos and sometimes, Dae admit it made him rethink his choices of the line he drew. But not anymore. He practiced this speech for 3 hours straight in front of the mirror, for a reason. He didn't take it lightly to be interrupted when he was already a fidgeting mess but the baby and the poor single mother was just there. When Yeon said he wore his painting clothes, Jae raised his eyebrows inquisitively towards the blonde because there was no way those are considered painting clothes or anywhere near disposable. But said nothing in response because if he had made any remarks about it outloud, it may make the mother uncomfortable for weighing the burden on them even though they volunteered. Well, he did. But Yeon looked equally excited. 

The thoughts of talking to him regarding their arrangements went out of the window quickly as soon as his eyes fell on the dull wall. They totally needed wallpapers and there were some of them stored inside the boxes when he went through it earlier. His throat went dry when Yeon pointed out his liking for kids, "I… don't, too. But Crystal is too cute for her own good…" he murmured sheepishly, "I'd apologize for dragging you into this but from the looks of things, you seem equally excited. Not your first rodeo?" He snorted because that sounds so much like Yeon to be wearing a whole $400 apparel for his casual look and the one he claimed to be his painting clothes, "I was gonna comment on it earlier but decided not to. Can't be giving her a heart attack so early in the day" he chuckled and rolled up his sleeves properly to a length where he was sure the paint wouldn't get all messy on his navy hoodie. "Purple seems like the color for the room, there were actually a few wallpapers in the boxes so we can use a small amount of it for the side walls and use paint for the remaining half. Especially the middle one in front of us, she could draw on it when she grows up. It's big enough for her to count her height and whatnot" Dae pointed to the wall before them. "How good are you at drawing?"

He definitely thought that Crystal was cute, dressed in a little pink onesie made out of wool which was no doubt keeping her warm in the cold which had come over Evermore recently. Yeon never really got to spend much time around kids really so he always felt a little awkward around them, pulling faces and staring back at them when they stared at him. Never had any siblings, his work wasn’t any place for kids being and he didn’t have any friends with kids either.

When Dae asked what he would do with a wish he didn’t realize he was directing the question at him at first but as he lifted his gaze slowly he realized the Niveis was looking right at him. He went quiet for a moment and then shrugged his shoulders, okay maybe he did seem like he had everything so it was fair to ask what he could possibly want “To meet someone I never got the chance to I guess” by that he meant his sister whom he knew existed but would never be able to meet, thinking about her always made him a little nostalgic for his childhood thinking what it might have been like to grow up alongside a sibling.

Things were definitely interesting behind himself and the Niveis, there were times where everything felt easy and they would tease and play around with one another as though it was simply in their nature. No topic seemed to feel off-limits for them which meant their conversations could be broad and damn right hilarious at times. But then at other times it felt like the two of them were holding themselves back, like they were walking this tightrope and one of them would slip and stumble before righting themselves, Yeon definitely felt like he was holding himself back when the very person who could take away all of his frustrations was right in front of him and he was calling it friendship. Yeon gave Dae a harsh look back when he judged him for his painting attire, okay it wasn’t exactly designed for painting but they both knew he could afford to replace the clothes.

He saw the change in Dae the moment they walked into the barren-looking room, seeing the way that the Niveis had a determined expression that screamed the beginning of a new project to the Valkyr. Well, that was unexpected but not unwelcome, he thought as he saw the way Dae responded to him pointing out that he seemed good with kids “She is pretty adorable” he commented with a slight grin. When Dae pointed out that he seemed excited too Yeon chuckled “Well you know what I’m like with my work, if I see something unfinished it bothers me” he shook his head slightly at the Niveis when he said he was going to point out how much his clothes were worth “What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her in this case” he smirked a little as he moved to drag the cot out of the room so they could make sure they didn’t accidentally get paint on it.

“Purple is a great color, you know they say it’s related back to royalty” he chuckled softly now he was finished taping down the base to protect the floors he was ready to get to some painting “Sounds good to me, going to need a step-ladder if we’re going to lay wallpaper though” people would probably be surprised by how practical Yeon was considering he could afford to pay people to do all his DIY work for him if he wanted to “So paint first, wait for it to dry and then wallpaper, so we don’t risk getting any paint splatters on the wallpaper” he nodded slightly inspecting the walls and noting they had already been sanded down “If you asked me that 6 months ago I’d say terrible but recently I’ve improved” he commented with a slightly worried gaze because he wasn’t sure he was drawing on the wall level good “Why?” he asked with widened eyes as he stared at the Niveis questioningly.

“So uh…” he cleared his throat a little “Seemed like you had something to say before we were cutely interrupted” he looked over at the pale-haired male with a curious expression because he had seemed really nervous there for a moment.

Ever since winter arrived and the season finally flooded the eternal city, the snowy-haired Niveis felt more inclined to be happier and more enthusiastic than usual. One, he no longer needed to complain about any heat amidst anything; which justified his petty reasons for disliking summer. Autumn was a breeze but winter, he was so sure he's never loved anything as much as he's loved the season, in general. Okay, maybe his sister. The Niveis also liked seeing people celebrating the festivities, like Christmas. He'll never admit it outloud, the only reason why he never liked seeing people in front of him was because he knew he'd have a frown creasing his face while battling the envy down. But seeing how warmly dressed the baby girl he just met, that made his heart flutter in so many ways, especially when she looked so content while gurgling. Daehyun felt like he could quite literally give her anything in this world. 

Yeon's answer to his question made him nod softly as if implying that he understood why he said what he said. He would ask who, but he had a feeling he shouldn't be prying into something so personal, even if they were closer than before. Maybe one day. Over the few months where their friendship bloomed, Dae had been dealing with this desire that was quite incessant lately whenever the Valkyr is 10 meters near. He couldn't even move away because it was still so comfortable being near him. He made a choice when he decided to draw the line between them but it didn't mean it hasn't been torturous for him. The flirting didn't stop between them which only made the Niveis think about the what if's. Today was supposed to be the deal breaker for it, but that will have to wait. 

"She is more than just adorable, Yeon, look at her… look at the way she gurgles… her tiny hand-" he sighed dramatically as if the sight of the baby quite literally made his heart stopped before resuming his gaze at the wall, "Well, I guess we'll have another productive day ahead of us then, because there is no way I'm leaving this room before it's finished." Dae always had this fascination for both interior and exterior design. "Yeah, royalties wear purple because it was a hard color to get by. Expensive, they said. It wasn't easy to come by either, no wonder people wanted it. Wearing it may make people seem unique, which is an appeal for them, I'm guessing" For someone who was born around the last few decades before the Joseon Dynasty ended with the birth of Korean Empire, Dae was able to witness a few things in his childhood.

 "I think she should have a stepladder somewhere, I'll ask her after this." His smirk grew upon witnessing Yeon's surprised reaction, "I wanted to draw something for baby Crystal. A gift, if you would. Pretty sure her mother wouldn't mind either since it's better off as decoration. Nothing too flashy… just a small token to help her remember us by." Dae has always been a big fan of kids, for some reason. He never thought he would have a paternal side but here he is, gushing over a cute baby girl. His hands quickly stopped its movements while he was unloading the paint because he didn't expect Yeon to ask him that, his throat feels dry all of a sudden again, "Yeah… it's… just something I've been meaning to talk to you about. A small arrangement is all." God, he could feel how sweaty his palms were but it didn't prevent the Niveis from handing Yeon a pair of gloves, even if his hands were trembling slightly.

Yeon always appreciated the way that Dae never pushed personal matters too far which was probably why he felt some sense of comfort in talking about them with the Niveis, he knew that Dae wouldn’t overstep or try to make him talk about something he didn’t want to and in turn that gave him more confidence to explore those topics. He pressed his lips together, he wanted to share some insight into the things that plagued him but he had no idea how to even start opening up when it came to those kinds of things “I had a uh” he paused for a moment, it was like him to stutter over words which clearly showed how the topic affected him “Really hard time moving on when I first came to Evermore” he had already told Dae he came to Evermore just after he became a Valkyr so he was sure the pale-haired male could put the rest together.

Yeon had to admit he’d never seen this side of Dae before, of course there had been brief moments of brightness and excitement shared between them as they talked but nothing rivaled the way he gushed over Crystal, he scrunched his nose slightly because it was incredibly sweet to experience “So have you ever thought about wanting one of your own?” it was a sudden question he knew but they were both old enough to have thought about their own wants when it comes to a family and Dae honestly seemed like he was really uplifted by being around kids. He gave the pale-haired male a knowing gaze when he said they were going to work on this room until it was finished, not exactly how he expected to spend his day off but if he got to chat with Dae all day and help out a neighbor in the process, that felt like it was a good use of his time. “Perfect for the little princess who seems to have stolen Daehyun Stormwind’s heart then” he teased as he started pouring out some of the paint into the tray.

Yeon raised his brow because he felt like he was seeing a whole new side to Dae tonight and he actually really liked it, he was diligent and thoughtful, pretty far from the sometimes self-centered aura he could give off, though the Valkyr had cracked that particular behavior was an act a long time ago “Well no promises that it’ll be museum-worthy but Han seems to have loaned me some of his painting skills” he chuckled softly and looked up at Dae, meeting his eyes and then nodding as if to say, ‘if you’re in then I’m in’ he then smiled and then went back to setting up the paint, unpacking some of the brushes and then a roller which he soaked into the indigo-colored paint and then started to apply it to the wall. He noticed Dae seemed pretty stunned by his question which had him intrigued “A small arrangement?” he responded with a quirked brow but he wouldn’t get to hear about it because just at that moment Crystal’s mom, whom he’d now found out was called Beth, came back with the promised drinks.

He smiled a thanks to her to which she shook her head saying it was the least she could do in exchange for the help, he took a sip of his, doing his best not to pull a face from the bitter coffee taste before setting down the mug on the window sill and getting back to rolling the paint over the wall doing his best not to get it everywhere. “Thank god this is quick dry paint because it seems like we’re going to have to do a second coat” he commented, noting that it looked a little patchy in places.

His ears perked up automatically at the sudden mention of a certain blond Valkyr having a hard time moving on and forgetting when he first got to Evermore, and that certain Valkyr is right here standing before him, looking as charming and handsome as ever, even in his 'painting' casual clothes. Sometimes, Dae wondered if he was just too deep in this part or if Yeon is really just that attractive. He recalled hearing this part earlier in the friendship, which made the snowy-haired Niveis stare back at him with his eyes softened. "Most of us do... " He did too. "I once believed that Evermore is the sanctuary we all deserve… yet I often find myself flying out… and it's not because of work only." He admitted that he was guilty in wanting to be far away from others and only returning when he heard Yeon is back just so he could catch up with him. All of his movements halted automatically as if the emergency stop button was pressed when Yeon asked him if he wanted one of his own, did he? 

Dae loves children, in general. But did he want one of his own? "I… I mean the idea of having one of your mini version running around… that's cute" Fine, maybe he thought about it. But he didn't think that he was the type to settle down with such attachment like relationship. "Though, I'm not about to fuck a kid into someone. Too complicated. So, that's probably not going to happen anytime soon." Was it impossible though? Not in the slightest. "But I can appreciate little kids running around being their cute mischievous selves." The sight of the basic and bland room was enough to trigger the designer inside Daehyun, the Niveis wanted to change everything as soon as possible. Given that there were already paint and wallpapers rolled in the boxes both of them helped carry upstairs, he knew he wasn't about to step out of the complex without finishing this room for Crystal. "I'm sorry that I dragged you in this with me… you don't have to stay with me throughout all of this, you know… You didn't sign up to help decorate a room when I called you down to talk so I completely understand if you are not feeling it" He fiddled with his fingers absentmindedly and couldn't meet Yeon's eyes because he was embarrassed that this turned out. 

His cheeks flushed slightly when Yeon pointed out that the baby had certainly stolen his heart, "She's very cute, okay. Can you blame me? You should've seen the look on her face when she stared at me with those big round hues and wrapped her hand around my finger" he gushed excitedly, Daehyun Stormwind definitely has a thing for kids. That much was proven today. Another new thing Yeon learned today. When the blond mentioned his Volakiri may have lent him his painting skills, the Niveis' eyes lit up, it wasn't a secret that the Celestial is a good painter so he was very curious and enthusiastic to see how Yeon will lead that too, "I'm good at arranging stuff. But painting and drawing animatedly? My imagination and creativity capacity doesn't exceed certain parts" he admitted sheepishly, rubbing his hand at the back of his head awkwardly. 

Dae hummed in affirmation, deciding to keep himself busy by starting to paint the other side, making sure he stays close to the Valkyr so he could talk further about this arrangement he had thought out in his head; the real reason why he called Yeon today. "Yeah… I know you may be in for it but I'm also not confident if you'd agree-" Before he could continue with his words, Beth came back with drinks, much to his dismay. The elder Stormwind poked his tongue against his inner cheek, a clear sign of his annoyance of being interrupted. Again. He didn't even hear much of what Yeon said after that because he only mumbled a small yeah as he resumed his work, he may have smiled politely at Beth earlier but now he's just wishing that he could get some alone time with Yeon. He kept staring at Yeon from the side but said nothing, he just kept sighing to himself.

He looked over at Dae for a moment seeing the empathy in his eyes, they had both been through a lot though he dare say Dae had been through a lot more, still, your own struggles always felt bigger then they were right, that was how he felt about it all “I guess a part of me just wishes I could have ended it all better you know, not left so many...empty threads” he never got to make up with his father and tell him how sorry he was for what he said, he didn’t get to tell his mother goodbye. And he would never meet his sister because she was a part of the life he was forced to leave 6 feet under when he walked into the path of an oncoming vehicle. “Did I ever tell you how I died?” he asked it softly just in case Beth came back mid-conversation because that would be a very hard one to explain to their very human neighbor.

He could tell he had completely caught Dae off guard by that question, which wasn’t entirely surprising he supposed considering that a lot of people didn’t think about having kids until they were in a strong and stable relationship but then Daehyun wasn’t your average guy so he figured maybe he would have. He grinned slightly when Dae essentially admitted he did want his own child one day “Never really wanted one myself” he admitted with a slight shrug of his shoulders “Though I’m starting to see the appeal” seeing the way Crystal had reacted to Dae with such a pure and unfiltered response was incredibly endearing. He shuddered a little at the thought of having a child with someone you didn’t really see as part of your life though “Good point, that would get awkward and difficult real fast” never needed to consider the logistics of that before honestly “They’d keep you pretty busy I’m sure” not an easy job to raise an entire person he was sure, he was just glad to be able to give Beth a bit of breathing room for a while.

He shook his head at Dae’s apology for bringing him into this, he didn’t mind all that much, helping a neighbor seemed like a good thing to do and they could still talk and drink coffee along the way so it wasn’t all that different. “Oh don’t worry, you should know by now I’m an overachiever, I couldn’t leave this now even if I wanted to” he glanced up at Dae and smiled “Besides, the company is good” he assured him with a nod of his head as he got back to decorating the walls. “Well I’m going to need your help with the arranging because I have no sense of spatial awareness but uh” she pulled a curious expression “What exactly are you asking me to draw, because I might need some paper to do a few practice runs” he chuckled softly, he could do this right? He had to do this because the last thing he wanted to do was embarrass himself in front of the guy he was kinda hoping would one day come back into bed with him.

Yeon had to admit Dae had him intrigued by this whole arrangement thing and the fact that he was being so secretive about it, felt like some mystery he was supposed to solve and dare he say that the Niveis even seemed a little nervous about it “Try me” he responded a little suggestively as he listened to the rest of Dae’s words but right at that moment they were interrupted by Beth coming back into the room and the whole conversation seemed to fizzle out. He got to work on painting the first wall, covering the barren area with the pretty indigo color and chatting along the way. He did notice almost immediately how incredibly quiet and short Dae had gotten though, yet every time he looked over his eyes were on him, the next time he came in close to paint next to Dae he shot him a questioning look, in a hushed voice he pursed his lips “Is it something not safe for a friendly neighborhood chat?” God was he hoping for a yes because that kind of arrangement he could definitely get behind.

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