Epilogue #2
He laid Su-Jin down and made sure he was comfortable and dry.
In those scant few seconds, Su-Jin fell deeply asleep.
Smiling, Jun brushed the hair back from his forehead, then returned to his desk.
He’d been able to meet his production schedule during Miles’s pregnancy, but due to the renovations on the building, he hadn’t been able to get ahead, and now that he was gearing up for their next big step forward, he wanted to make sure he had videos banked so he’d still have content coming out even when he took time off.
Recording went well.
Su-Jin was used to noise, and Jun’s reactions didn’t bother him.
Thank god he wasn’t known for his horror gameplay—he did play spooky games from time to time, but if his claim to fame had been shrilly screaming at anything and everything instead of chill comedy commentary, it likely would have been a different story.
About an hour later he’d recorded a full video, and a few messages from Miles were waiting on his phone. He took off his headphones, kicked back in his chair, and opened up their conversation.
Miles: If They get you, I will avenge you.
Miles: In other news, I am officially losing my mind.
I thought I was doing well pretending like I was a normal human being doing a normal human job and not a certified insane person about to go freak out on everyone like that one chimpanzee that ate that lady’s face that one time, all bc I have been away from my small human for less than five hours, but…
I am afraid to say I am failing my mission spectacularly and will soon be found out.
Miles: I miss my baby. How am I going to handle going out to dinner with you tonight?
I know it’s supposed to be a celebration of my promotion and everything, but what if nuclear war breaks out, or the zombie apocalypse starts, and we’re just sitting there eating Thai food too far away from our baby to save him?
? Aaaaaaahh. I may be overthinking. Please send coping mechanisms.
Jun checked the timestamp. The messages had been sent within the last five minutes, so there was a good chance Miles was still on his phone—hopefully somewhere private, since Jun had a perfect, although somewhat risqué, coping mechanism in mind.
Jun: Nowhere’s too far away when your baby daddy is a pro gamer. Do you know how many zombie apocalypses and nuclear outbreaks I’ve survived already? You don’t get a body like this by sitting on your ass playing games all day.
He set up his phone on his desk tripod and popped up onto his feet, lifting his shirt with one hand and pulling down the waistband of his sweats with the other to show off his body.
While he’d lost his home gym after selling his house in LA, he’d tried to stay on top of his workouts here in Aurora, and he was looking good.
Toned, tight, fit. Miles had expressed appreciation for his body more than once in the heat of the moment, and Jun figured a little preview of what he could look forward to that night after dinner might help take his mind off things.
Jun: I gotchu, babe. I’ll keep you safe. You and Su-Jin both.
Miles’s reply came almost immediately.
Miles: I know you will, and I know I’m just being dramatic, as always.
It’s just like, I knew having a kid would make me feel a lot more anxiety about everything, and I prepared for that, but I didn’t realize how much I would MISS him, even when I’m gone for just a few hours.
BUT I know it’s something I have to get used to, and as much as I miss our little one, I miss you too.
I know everything has been about the baby lately, and we didn’t have a whole lot of time to spend one-on-one before we were suddenly responsible for a whole human being, so I am looking forward to having you to myself for a little while.
I just… might be a little insane about it at the same time lol
Miles: I hope you understand. Like, I’m sure you do, but… bleh. Parenthood, man. Complicated in ways you wouldn’t even expect.
Su-Jin stirred and started to fuss, so Jun left his desk as it was and went to tend to his son. He took him into his arms and rocked him, talking to him in hushed tones, and began to wander through the house to stretch his legs before he had to sit back down and resume work.
He stopped in each of the rooms downstairs, lingering for a while in the living room and kitchen before carrying Su-Jin up to the second floor.
He popped into the nursery, where a mountain of laundry waited to be washed, then entered the master bedroom, which had once been half of Miles’s living room and his bedroom nook.
There, the pigeon family was eating breakfast. Their babies were long gone, having grown up in the blink of an eye, but the parents remained.
They cozied up together in their new nest—warmer now that Miles and Jun had purposefully left some cattail fluff out for them to encourage them to stay—and shared a piece of croissant.
Jun couldn’t be entirely sure, but for a second, he thought he caught a glimpse of something white beneath them.
New eggs.
More babies on the way.
They were getting ready for a new phase in life, and they weren’t the only ones.
Absentminded, Jun dipped his hand into the pocket of his sweatpants and ran a thumb over the small velvet box inside.
He’d been carrying it everywhere, psyching himself up for what he was about to do tonight, and now he was ready.
In less than twelve hours, a new phase in his life would begin as well.
As the pigeons cuddled, Jun sat on the edge of the bed and laid Su-Jin on top of the covers. He was starting to get squirmy, and in a second Jun would take him downstairs to the living room for some tummy time, but first he wanted to wrap up his conversation with Miles.
Jun: You feel however you need to feel, and I’ll be there to support you through it.
It’ll be okay. I might be grossly misinterpreting the situation, but I have a feeling the lead-up to tonight will be way worse than when you’re actually in the moment.
At least then you’ll have me to distract you ;)
Miles: You’re right, and I promise I really am looking forward to a night out with you.
I think we’ve earned a little bit of indulgence, don’t you?
And it’s true, you ARE the best distraction.
Got any plans on how to woo me, or should I give you some suggestions?
Because if you do need suggestions, my first piece of advice would be wear the silk button-up and leave the top two unbuttoned.
The light blue one with the pocket on the front? You know the one…
Jun: Always open to suggestions, but I do have a trick or two up my (blue silk) sleeve.
Jun: But seriously, if there’s anything at all you want out of tonight, say the word and it will be yours
Miles: You’re so sweet and I don’t know what I did to deserve you. I thank my unbearable heat horniness and the advent of hookup apps for leading me to you. I love you. No tricks or bits required. Just bring yourself and that’ll be more than enough. (Do wear that shirt tho, if you can swing it)
Jun snorted.
Jun: (You got it. If it weren’t for the high chance of attack by baby bodily fluids between now and then, it would already be on ;))
Jun: Love you, too, babe. Have a good rest of your day and I’ll see you real soon for an unforgettable evening, just you and me
Miles: Looking forward to it! (And I promise I’m not just saying that.) See you soon <3
With the conversation concluded, Jun put his phone away and carried Su-Jin downstairs. He was looking forward to it, too, in more ways than Miles could ever know.
***
Miles and Jun have found their happily ever after, but did you know there are dozens of other love stories unfolding in Aurora? Check out any of Piper’s solo books or the Forbidden Desires series, cowritten with Virginia Kelly, for more from this same universe.