"Auntie Yaya, you and Captain Boboiboy married before mommy— mom, and dad right?"

Yaya secretly chuckles at the slip tongue. As he's about to turn school age, Zhen has been adamant to refer to Ying and Fang as [mom] and [dad] instead of [mommy] and [daddy] because he has "grown up", the boy reasoned, much to the chagrin of his parents.

"That's right."

"Then why haven't you had a baby yet? Mom just made my brother in the hospital yesterday. She already has two children."

The inquiry halts Yaya in her tracks. The boy glances up at her, legs swaying back and forth while waiting for the answer. Regaining her wits, Yaya carefully picks up the words.

"Because there are still a lot of things we'd need to prepare, my dear."

Zhen cocks his head aside.

"Is it because Captain Boboiboy was going to cry like dad when mom carried my brother in her tummy?" He frowns slightly. "Then I think it's fine. No one wants to be a wrenched seahorse after all."

Yaya almost chokes on her spit. 

"Zhen, where did you learn to say like... that?" She blinks down at the boy in bewilderment. There is no way a five-year-old kid would know such an ambitious choice of words without an adult's influence.

"Uncle Sai, uncle Gopal and uncle Qually always called dad that... I heard Captain said it too."

–Of course, them. She should have suspected it. Yaya resists the urge to drag a hand down her face. She swears sometimes she wonders when those manchildren would grow up. And of course, her dear husband had to be one of them, apparently. 

She will have a word with Boboiboy later. It isn't hard to imagine how their alien friend would bawl his eyes out once that nickname sails out from his precious son's lips.

"It's not nice to call your father like that. He will be sad if he heard you say it. Do you want him to be sad?" Yaya gently chides, watching Zhen's eyes widen in horror. The boy shakes his head frantically whilst she smiles. "Then no more mean nicknames, alright? Besides, perhaps you don't know about it, but your father crying is proof of how much he loved your mother."

He hums at her words. Eyebrows knit together in thought before nodding.

"I understand, auntie. I won't call him《wrenched seahorse》anymore." Zhen says. "Still, why haven't you and Captain had a baby?"

He's not going to give up anytime soon, is he? Yaya thinks with a dismal sigh. She really wonders where Zhen acquired his persistence from. Shaking her head, Yaya tries to pick out the most understanding way if she has to explain things to a little kid.

"Your uncle and I... fear we wouldn't be able to take care of the baby once they were born." She states. "Our baby could feel sad since we always have to go far away for missions. And there are many bad people out there who want to hurt our baby because they, erm, don't like us? We're afraid we can't protect our baby..."

It's not like Boboiboy and she hasn't discussed the idea of having children. They really want them, truly. The idea of having a mini version of her husband running around their house is just endearing.

However, the fear of hurting their children without knowing haunts them both.

They lost count of how many times the headquarters directly got raided. And that is counted as the most secure place. She doesn't doubt Boboiboy's capability of taking on whoever dares attack their family, there's no guarantee he will always be there. For her part, Yaya can fend off some enemies with her power. But, when it comes to protecting herself and the children, she's afraid she doesn't have much confidence. 

And if the children are actively targeted—

Yaya forces her thoughts to stop there. Taking a deep breath, she releases them slowly. 

—She wouldn't know what to do, then.

The horrendous potent threats from their jobs aside, she and Boboiboy also fear they might fail to be parents. Raising a child isn't simply feeding them, bathing them, and keeping them safe. There are so many other needs they need to cover for parenthood and back then, they were just so... young and inexperienced. It was like heading into an unknown path.

A small hand placed on top of her brings Yaya out of her trance. She meets a pair of determined crimson orbs.

"Don't worry antie Yaya, I'll protect your baby... I– Uhh... what is it again— right! Cross my heart and hope to die!" Zhen declares, as firmly as a five-year-old can be. Yaya can only stare at him before the corners of her lips curl up into a genuine smile.

"I see. If it were Zhen, I couldn't be more reassured." She ruffles the boy's purple hair fondly. Yaya's other hand unconsciously finds its way to rest on the slight bump of her belly which requires a close look to realize.

Little did he know, Zhen already protected their child. The existence of the boy playing around TAPOPS, well and healthy, gave Boboiboy and her the courage they needed to take the next step of their life.

"I bet they will be super-duper awesome!" Ducking out of her hand, Zhen exclaims. "They are yours and Captain's after all... Unlike my brother." 

"Why did everyone keep saying he looked like me?! He is wrinkle-wrinkle like a monkey!" He grumps. Flopping back down to his seat, He crosses his arms. Yaya has to stifle her laughter as he pouts.

"Auntie promised that little Fai will become very much a good boy like you. You just have to wait and see." She bops his nose with her fingertip. Rubbing it, Zhen scrums his eyebrows. The gears inside his head turn. 

"Hm... I don't really get it, but if that's what auntie said... then I guess it's okay?"

Unable to help herself this time, Yaya cups those puffed cheeks, making them deflate.  She chortles the moment she gets herself a rather cute protesting squeak from her little companion.

::::::::::

"Is she here?" Zhen whispers, impatient mixed excited. He peeks out from his parents' legs, trying his best to be quiet as they have wanted him to be. They have warned him his auntie and uncle's baby is currently sleeping.

In the middle of the dim-lit room, Yaya nods tiredly on her bed. Yet a happy smile graces her face. With the help of her husband, she gently shifts the small bundle inside her arms before setting it down beside her. She beckons the boy to come closer.

Tiptoeing to the side of the bed, Zhen leans in to have a better look at the newborn in question. His eyebrows immediately knit together. The initial excitement fades into a long face. After a while, he breathes out a line that earns him not only a mortified look from his mother but also a round of amused snorts from the adults as well.

"Well... she looks puny and... squishy." The boy says flatly. "Like a blobfish."

"Zhen!" Ying hisses in a whisper. She poops her son on the head and shoots her friends an apologetical look which Yaya and Boboiboy wave her off with an easy smile, not offended.

"But she's so small!" Holding the sore spot on his head, Zhen turns to his mother. He can't fathom why she got mad at him. "Fai wasn't even this small!"

He motions toward the sleeping baby before his face crumbles up once more. "...No wonder auntie Yaya was worried... She can get hurt easily." the boy mutters.

"She will grow up eventually, son. You also used to be small like this." Chuckling in good manners, Fang tussles his son's black hair over his wife's shoulder. Zhen gives him a startled look. His eyes dash between his parents and the bundle near his antie, squinted doubtfully.

"Really...?" He purses his lips before hmph. Crossing his arms and shrugging in a very resigned manner, he grunts. "Guess I will have to protect both her and Fai until then."

His words torch smiles on the adults' faces, especially Yaya's.

"Thank you, Zhen. I know she is in capable hands." She beams at him whilst the boy averts his gaze. His face heats up, suddenly seeming bashful at the trust she places in him, though the small smile on his face says otherwise. Boboiboy raises an inquisitive eyebrow as he regards them. He glances at his wife who simply shifts her soft giggles into her hand, while Ying coos, almost squeals, at her son's adorableness.

"Remember to be extremely caring, alright? She's a girl, alright, She needs extra protection." The Chinese woman adds with a mischievous wink, pinching Zhen's cheek playfully. The boy hastily dips out from the assault of her hand, pouting.

"Extremely caring." He mutters, massaging his cheek. His mother giggles before gushing about the baby with Yaya, allowing Zhen some time to reflect. He has looked after Fai just fine whenever his parents come home late. Fai, his little brother, the clumsy little devil who doesn't even know how to speak but is able to mess up anything within his reach.

How hard can it be to look after one more tiny girl?

:::::::::

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—Several years later—

A body is sent crashing through the restaurant's window. The rest flinch as the girl sharply turns around. Her orange glasses catch the light, gleaming dangerously.

"Who's next?"

With an indignant sound akin to a growl, Norah drives back into the fray and processes to teach each drunk space thug a lesson that no doubt will haunt them for the rest of their life. None manages to escape. Her teammates can only stare at what is unfolding on the sideline, wincing in sympathy at the pained screams and echoing cries.

《extra protection》... Yeah, right. Biggest scams ever. His mother surely knew how to jest. Between that... thing and those thugs, Zhen wonders who actually needs it more.

"Just you know, Fai—" Placing a hand on his still bewildered brother's shoulder, he ducks them down for another body zipping over their heads. "—I'm just so GLAD you were a bro."