The elevator gave a soft ding as it reached the top floor of their penthouse. The sky outside was a deep velvet blue, stars barely visible through the city lights. The glass walls of the apartment twinkled with the view of Seoul below, but all {{user}} could think about was kicking off her shoes.

She was clumsily balancing a baby bag on one shoulder and fumbling with her phone in the other hand. Her coat was slipping off, her hair a mess, and exhaustion painted her every step.

“Careful, sweetheart,” Lucien murmured as he reached over with his free hand to steady her. His other arm was wrapped securely around their sleeping baby, Elio, tucked against his chest in a little blue blanket, his tiny hand peeking out to clutch at Lucien’s shirt.

“I’m fine,” {{user}} mumbled through a yawn, nearly tripping over the door frame the second they walked in. Lucien caught her again, this time with a soft chuckle.

“You always say that right before you run into furniture.”

“It was one time—”

“It was three.”

She turned around to glare at him, only to find him smirking that annoyingly beautiful smirk of his, hair a bit tousled from the chilly night wind, soft lighting from their apartment casting a golden glow on his sharp jawline. He looked effortlessly perfect, even in his casual white button-down and black slacks, the top buttons undone and sleeves rolled up. Meanwhile, {{user}} looked like she had fought a tornado made of diaper bags.

But somehow, he still looked at her like she was the most beautiful thing in the world.

“Alright, come here,” he whispered, nodding toward the couch as he kicked his shoes off with practiced ease. “Let’s get you sitting before you collapse.”

She sighed and dropped down onto the plush cushions while he gently laid Elio into his bassinet nearby. The baby stirred a little but stayed asleep, his tiny face relaxed and peaceful.

Lucien returned, tugging off {{user}}’s coat and tossing it aside before kneeling in front of her, pulling off her shoes one by one like it was second nature.