Chapter Text
After practice, there was about ten minutes that Hao spent alone, busy tossing baskets into the air above. The rest of his team had bid their farewells, exiting the gym to the locker rooms, ready to go home to families of their own. Hao held the ball in his hands as he pulled out his phone from his pocket, reading over the text that had come in minutes earlier.
Husband <3: 5:23 PM: Sorry! Going to be a little late today. Elizabeth didn’t want to put her shoes on, so it caused a bit of a holdup. We’ll be there soon! I promise :)
Husband <3: 5:29 PM: Update: Shoes on. On the way!
Hao smiled as the thought came to mind; an image of their oldest adoptive daughter standing in the doorway shaking her head all while Hanbin tries to barter with her, begging her to put the damn shoes on. Those were the small moments Hao wished to be there for, the times he wished to spend at home and watch their children develop. But Hao knew what he had to do to keep them afloat. A few more years at the NBA level and they could make enough to sustain the household for a while.
Finances aside, Hao was happy. Not many people could grab the husband of their dreams all while raising a family of three daughters and one rambunctious aging cat.
Even when the gym was empty, when everyone else on the team had already left, Hao never felt alone. He knew someone was always waiting for him on the other side, ready to care for his every need, ready to share every moment of their lives with each other.
There was nothing that compared to the feeling of creating a family with Hanbin. Throwing the winning basket, and winning local championships, weren’t nearly as important as when Hao returned home to those smiling whisker cheeks, ready to hug and compliment him on a day well done.
Life was good.
When Hao tossed a ball up in the air and it missed by a mile, he only chuckled to himself, rushing back to attempt another shot. The ball would miss the basket every so often, but that was alright. That was a part of life. Hao had come to terms with that. Every shot missed was just a blossoming opportunity for something new. The second toss missed by just an inch and Hao blamed his sudden discoordination on his desire to see Hanbin.
A tugging on the gym door handle sent Hao’s attention right over to it, ears already perked for any noise out of the ordinary. The task was completed with some effort as Hanbin shoved his foot through first before trying to wedge the rest of his body inside. Hao dropped the ball, walking over to him immediately.
“Hey!” Hanbin said as his eyes lit up, still struggling to open the door as a small child clung to his left side, “Finally made it!”
“You should have told me when you were in the parking lot,” Hao said, instinctively reaching for the child strung in Hanbin’s arms, “You didn’t have to carry Vanessa in alone.”
“That’s alright,” Hanbin took advantage of his newly free arms to brush his shirt off before reaching back to grasp the hand of another little girl, “Eve wanted to see the gym. She’s been talking all day about ‘where other daddy works.’”
Hao blinked with surprise, adjusting Vanessa in his arms, before crouching down to meet his oldest daughter on the ground. He reached his free arm to brush the black bangs from her face, “You wanted to see the gym? Don’t you like watching Daddy on TV?”
She nodded, pointing off to the spacious basketball court, “I wanted to see it in person!”
“She’s been begging for a while,” Hanbin said as Hao tilted his head up, “I thought this would be a good time because I figured the gym would be pretty empty by now.”
“Yep. Definitely.” Hao replied with a nod. “Everyone should be gone. Perfect timing.”
There was something he forgot to do, too distracted by the sight of his three daughters in the gym to take action. Propping Vanessa onto his hip, Hao stood back up and took a step closer to Hanbin. He brought the free hand up to Hanbin’s chin to lightly touch it before leaning in, kissing his husband on the lips. Hao knew he wouldn’t be able to function for much longer without a Hanbin kiss.
After the addition of kids to their everyday lives, those small moments alone were all the more important as they solidified that involvement with each other. Keeping the flame burning bright was just as important as raising the kids.
Hanbin’s breath was hot against his lips as he pulled away with a small giggle, “I missed you today.”
“I know. Practices run long these days,” He bit his lip, taking a glance down at the kids who were slowly scrambling away. Eve was already doing laps around the gym, looking in every deep crevice, most likely for bugs or small objects. Elizabeth was standing politely with a purple dress on, her eyes focused on the ground.
“It’ll be temporary,” Hanbin replied with a shrug, already working to rub a hand over Hao’s back. He always understood Hao’s concerns for his somewhat absent presence in their kids’ lives. Without fail, Hanbin comforted him, reassuring him in every possible way.
“Yeah,” Hao replied with a nod, realizing again just how lucky he was, “How was everything today? Besides Elizabeth and her shoes.”
“It went alright. I’ve been trying to get Vanessa to eat her veggies, but she refused again,” Hanbin said with a small sigh, “One of these days.”
Hao looked at the three-year-old resting in his arms, her eyes wide as she blinked around, an almost smile traveling to her face. Cheeky grins, mischief energy held by every daughter. Hao liked to think they got that from him. “There’s always tomorrow. You’ll eat your veggies tomorrow, right?”
Vanessa only blinked back at him, her mouth still shut.
“Oh well. Maybe she answered me telepathically.”
Hanbin rubbed the top of her head, “She’s still young. She’ll grow into them.”
“True. I didn’t eat my veggies when I was her age,” Hao had to empathize with the toddler. When he was three, eating veggies was certainly the last thing on his mind.
“You didn’t eat your veggies at all, Hao,” Hanbin deadpanned, a twinkle of amusement dancing in his eyes.
“Touche. I’ve been eating broccoli these days!”
“Only since I started to make it.”
“I can’t help the fact that you’re the only person that can cook broccoli well.”
Hanbin’s eyes lasted on him for a second longer before he let out a laugh, “You’re too cute.”
The same words were about to come from his mouth until Hao was caught off guard by a tugging on his leg. He looked down to notice Eve who had finished her laps around the gym, somehow without finding any bugs, busy seeking his attention. “Daddy.”
“Yes?” Hao responded, giving their oldest his full attention, “Did you enjoy the gym?”
She wasted no time in nodding, pointing a finger up at the net above, “You told me you would teach me basketball.”
Hao couldn’t remember quite when he said that, but he didn’t doubt the words. His career was a huge thing in their household, with basketball turning into something all his girls talked about sometimes. Eve specifically requested a basketball-themed birthday party for when she turned nine next month. That was something that was already in the works as the enthusiasm in her face had been too pure to resist.
He nodded, “Yeah. You have to tell me when you want to start. I can sign you up for the school program and you can get into it with other kids your age,” With a smile, he added, “Though, I definitely think you’d have an advantage.”
“I already signed her up for this year,” Hanbin added in, taking a step forward, “Seems like there’s a few teachers excited about the NBA player Zhang Hao’s daughter playing on their third-grade basketball team.”
“Well, it’s not like she could play on the official team,” Hao mused, taking one last look at Eve. She pouted, “Actually, let’s draft her right now. I think she could take them on.”
Hanbin playfully hit his shoulder, “Our poor daughter. Sent off to play basketball.”
“She’s the one asking. Right?”
Eve nodded.
Hao looked back with a smirk, enjoying the look of humor resting on Hanbin’s face, “See? Alright, Eve. Let’s get you ready for the draft.”
With that, Hanbin reached out to take hold of Vanessa once again, whispering small words into her ears when a small cry fell from her lips. Elizabeth took a step up and Hanbin’s hand grabbed her tight, “Do you want to watch your sister play?” He asked her.
Slowly, Elizabeth looked back and forth between the two of them before giving a small nod, mouth still shut.
Hanbin looked at Hao, “She’s only shy when she’s not yelling about not wanting to put her shoes on. Alright, let’s go over to the bench you two. Somehow, I think your shoe is already untied.” He motioned over towards the close benches, to which he walked over as Elizabeth followed.
Watching the three of them walk away was an image Hao kept close to his heart. The slow steps of Elizabeth as she reached her hand up, holding on tightly to Hanbin’s hand, while Vanessa made small noises, her body bouncing all the way over to the stands. They were all there for him, ready to turn around and watch Eve toss a boll, ready to clap and cheer.
Hao loved his little family. Watching them grow up and flourish right in front of his eyes was the best journey life could offer.
“Daddy.” Eve called back to him, a smile set on her face, “Can you teach me now?”
“Yeah, of course,” Hao had to relocate the ball from earlier across the gym as he’d dropped it once he noticed Hanbin, but once it was rescued, Eve’s eyes brightened at the sight.
“It’s so big.”
“Only because you’re like, three feet tall,” Hao teased, rubbing a hand over her head, his heart filling with love when her laughter fell into the air. Eve was the jokester. She took after her father.
“I’m getting taller! The doctor says I’m gonna grow to be tall and strong.”
“Good! Maybe you do have some basketball in your future.” Hao said with a smile, bending down, allowing their eyes to make contact. He held out the ball, “Alright. The first step is to take the ball from me.”
Her little fingers grabbed it right from his grip, holding the orange ball tightly using both hands and forearms.
Hao nodded, “Alright. Not bad. You have the ball.”
“What’s the next step?”
“Well, the next step would be to throw the ball.”
“Okay!” She exclaimed with enthusiasm before hoisting the ball up and tactically throwing it up in the air, only for it to go straight up and back down, landing about two feet in front of them.
Hanbin’s small claps were heard in the distance, “That was amazing, sweetie!”
Eve looked back at him, “Wow, that missed by a lot…” She muttered, shaking her head, “I’m not good at this.”
“It’s alright. Daddy misses all the time, and I do this for a career. Just keep in mind that practice makes perfect.”
“How long do I have to practice for so I never miss?” Eve asked.
“Hmm… If I were to guess, maybe the next twenty years?”
Her eyes nearly popped out of her head, “What?”
“And then, you’d probably still be missing,” Hao shrugged. “I wasn’t good at all when I was your age. It all happened through hard work and determination.”
Hanbin cupped two hands around his hands so his voice could be heard throughout the gym, “And natural born skill!”
“Yeah, that too.”
Eve blinked back, looking lost in thought, “I want to try again. I think I can get it this time.”
“Alright,” He patted Eve’s head, handing the ball back to her, “Try throwing it a few more times. I’m going to go see if your other daddy needs any help with your sisters.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Hao had spotted Elizabeth stand up from the bleachers and begin to run around the gym. His eyes were trailing her carefully making sure she didn’t trip, but he watched on in delight due to the sheer speed her small legs were moving at.
“Did she get up by herself?” Hao asked.
His husband looked up, “Yeah. Said she wanted to go on a run. Honestly, she’s doing a great job. Probably saw Eve be all sporty and wanted to join in.”
“That’s cute,” Hao said, his heart fumbling, “Like, really fucking cute.”
“Shh!” Hanbin shook his head, covering Vanessa’s ears, “No cursing around the young one.”
“But I can curse around the older ones?”
“Yes. Precisely.”
“Works for me,” Hao let out a sigh, taking a seat next to Hanbin on the gym bench. Eve was busy throwing balls, hardly making any progress with it, but at least she looked like she was having fun. That was all that mattered. Elizabeth was still running around the gym while Vanessa was sucking on her thumb. “Hey, maybe she could join the track team.”
“Alright. So we have a track star and another basketball star. I like this track record.” Hanbin said with a nod, “What about Vanessa?” He directed his question right to the toddler, though it was highly unlikely they would get an answer.
“Hmm…” Hao tapped his chin, running through all of the possibilities. Based on their experiences with raising her, there were a few things that came to mind, “She’ll be the artist of the group. If her masterpieces on our carpets with apple sauce have anything to say for her art skills, I can almost guarantee that she’ll be successful.”
Hanbin let out a hearty laugh, “Oh my god. Our poor white carpets.”
“At least it wasn’t green juice like the massive stain on the back of the washing machines.”
“I still have no idea how Eve managed to not only get green vegetable juice in the first place but also get behind the washing machine. Every day is a mystery with that one.”
“Indeed,” Hao said with a nod, taking a sip of his water before allowing his body to relax on the bleachers.
Minutes into their silence of observing their kids, Hanbin reached an arm across his chest, pulling Hao’s body closer. The exhaustion from the long practice day was still hitting him hard and with Hanbin’s comforting scent falling all over him, he was finding it hard to stay awake and alert.
Hanbin’s hand rubbed across his forehead, absorbing the sweat and offering a coolant to settle down some of the activations in Hao’s mind. It was easy to have fun with the girls, he could do it forever, but there was no feeling that could compare to being held in Hanbin’s arms. Throughout the years, beginning from their early college days, Hao had dreamed about nothing more than falling asleep at night with Hanbin by his side.
“Are you tired?” He asked with a whisper.
Hao nodded. Hanbin could always tell with him. There was hardly a need for vocalized words when Hanbin was there to read him like a book in all of the best ways possible.
“Alright. Rest your eyes for a moment. I’m sure Elizabeth and Eve will be at it for a while. When we get home, they’re going to be pooped and ready for a nap.”
“Good point.”
“Then, we can have some time for just ourselves.”
Hao let out a small laugh, filling his mind with all sorts of Hanbin-related images. After a long practice, and a long day at work, there was nothing better. Before he shut his eyes for the quick nap on Hanbin’s shoulders, Hao blinked back up, placing him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Love you, beautiful.”