“Let’s meet tomorrow. We can hash out the details of our deal. Away from my parents and yours,” Jeonghan said.

“In public right?” Joshua asked, leery of alphas who couldn’t keep it in their pants.

Jeonghan googled at him. “What do you take me for? You’re a certified baby,” he said waving his hand up and down Joshua, “no appeal. Why would I go after a baby, omega or not?”

Joshua would feel offended but honestly who cared what the guy thought. “Just making sure. I’d like to leave unscathed. And you’re a erted old man who clearly has no sense of smell.”

“Excuse me?”

“The woman’s perfume that’s on you?” Joshua said. “It’s a perfume for scent blocking. Omegas use it all the time. She’s probably using it to hide the scent of a claim or a pregnancy. Might want to check that out. I don’t make deals with alphas who have kids already or knocked someone up,” Joshua sneered.

Jeonghan sputtered, his eyes wide.

“You didn’t know?” Joshua asked, smirking. “Too bad. If she is having your kid, it’s a perfect excuse for me to not marry you.” He laughed a bit as Jeonghan looked like he was having a heart attack. “Well I'm going to go back now. I’m hungry. You probably know where I live so just like pick me up and we can lie and say we’re going out on a,” Joshua chocked on the next word, “date.” His mouth twisted with disgust. “Bye.”

He walked back and sat down ignoring his dad’s stares. Jeonghan came back a few minutes later and the conversation resumed, with Joshua not answering except with terse, short answers.

Throughout the dinner, Jeonghan kept staring at him. It was unnerving. But the man was probably surprised at his little revelation about the woman’s perfume. Alphas were so dumb.

On the way out to the cars Joshua was stopped. Jeonghan put his hand on his shoulder and smiled at their parents. “Me and Joshua are going on a little date tomorrow. I hope that’s ok Mr. Hong.”

Goodness the alpha was laying it on thick.

“Is that right?” His dad asked looking at Joshua with his eyebrows raised. “It’ll be good for you two to get to know each other without us.”

“I’ll be sure to be careful with Joshua,” Jeonghan said.

Joshua side eyed him. The guy really knew how to lie didn’t he.

“Come by the house tomorrow to pick him up.”

“Of course.

Joshua wanted to fume the entire day at school but he knew his best bet to get what he wanted would be to see what Jeonghan was offering. Of course he didn’t have to agree with all of it. There was no way he wasn’t making his own demands of the man. If anything he’d make sure he came out on top in terms of the deal. He was getting tired of being told what to do.

“What’s on your mind?” Soonyoung said, popping up out of nowhere, almost giving Joshua a heart attack.

Joshua jumped. “Geez Soonyoung, make some noise next time.”

“I did. You just weren’t paying attention,” Soonyoung sat down on the grass beside Joshua. “So what’s up?”

Ruffling his hair, Joshua said. “Nothing much. Just stuff between me and my dad.”

“Like always?”

“Yea. He’s making noise about arrangements and crap. Wants me to be get an alpha,” Joshua mumbled.

“You’re young. And is this the stone ages? No one does that now a days unless their parents are rich. Which ok, I guess your dad is. That’s some wild . What are you going to do?” Soonyoung asked. Joshua’s never ending problems with his dad was like watching daily drama. Short and full of juicy bits and tiresome parts.

“He’s already made on with some people he knows. Their son,” Joshua gnashed his teeth. “Older, makes money, alpha, needs to keep his freaking in his pants.”

Soonyoung blinked at Joshua. “The guy piss you off that much? You said some pretty dirty words there.”

Joshua scoffed. “I met him yesterday with his parents and my dad. The guy wants to make a deal with me. Since it looks like we both want out but can’t do much. He’s going to be my ticket out of here.” Curling his fingers into a fist, “Otherwise I’m going to make the rest of this arrangement a living hell for all of them.”

Soonyoung whistled. “Some strong words there hyung. I’m here if you need me. Just don’t go falling in love with the dude. Then you’ll be in deep .”

“No way I’m falling in love with a guy like that,” Joshua said snorting hard.

“You say that now hyung,” Soonyoung warned.

“Want to go out after work tonight?” Seungcheol asked.

“Can’t,” Jeonghan replied, typing away at his report.

“Why not? You’re always up for a night out?” Seungcheol said, sitting his fat on some of Jeonghan’s paperwork.

“I’ve got a date with that kid I’m supposed to marry,” Jeonghan said a tad viciously.

“A date? Is that code for a booty call? Because if it is, I’m going to have to call the police. He’s only like seventeen right? That’s illegal my friend,” Seungcheol said, one eyebrow raised.

“No, Seungcheol,” Jeonghan glared, “it’s a date. More or less. We’re meeting to come up with a deal where we both benefit. And eww. He’s a baby. A very young child with no ounce of appeal to him. What kind of person do you think I am? That I’m capable of preying on a child?”

He shrugged. “You never know. A deal?”

“Yea. I don’t want to marry the kid and the kid doesn’t want to marry me. He wants something though and so do I. So we’re going to meet and see if we can come up with a compromise where we both can get what we want.” Jeonghan stopped typing. “And yes Cheol I can know. I won’t be falling in love with a child. Let alone want him in that way.”

“Omega pheromones my friend. And kids grow up fast. And some of them grow up really well too. Just so you know,” he said with a knowing look in his eyes.

“Oh? You have experience in that?” Jeonghan said in a tone of voice that insinuated that Seungcheol had experience with young teenagers.

“Not personally. But I’ve seen some child models grow up to be really nice looking young adults. You know the ones who worked on some of our projects?”

“Doesn’t matter. A child is a child. I’m a grown man who has a taste for people with long legs and a pretty face.”

“Yea, we all know your type by now,” Seungcheol said, looking out the tiny glass panes of Jeonghan’s office to see outside. “Just about every intern and secretary and pretty young thing knows.”

Jeonghan snarled. “It’s not like you don’t have one as well. If I’m known for being an eater, you’re known for it too.”

“We just go after different people. Why would I want my friend’s sloppy seconds? Still, be careful about falling in love with the kid.”

Parking his car, Jeonghan sighed and put his game face on. That kid was surprisingly perceptive. If he let his guard down, he’d probably be torn to pieces. Getting out of the car, he walked to the gate and rang the bell.

“Who’s this?”

Joshua answered. Wonderful. “It’s me kid.”

“I don’t know a person called Me. But I know an old man who has a similar sounding voice. Is that you old man?” He said cheekily.

Jeonghan breathed. Best not to let him rile him up. “It’s Jeonghan. Now open the door and let me in. The sooner we talk about what we want the sooner we come up with a plan.”

He heard a little hmph. “Fine. My dad will be at the door. I’m going to go change.”

The intercom went dead. For christ’s sake the kid had a mouth on him.

The gate buzzed and swung open, allowing Jeonghan to walk inside past the gate and into the garden walkway. The Hongs were certainly loaded. More loaded than his own parents it seemed. The garden was large and well groomed. The house was also impressive. Large, beautiful architecture, and it even had solar panels.

“Hello Jeonghan,” Mr. Hong said, opening the door. “Come in. Joshua is changing now.”

He bowed. “Thank you Mr. Hong.”

“No need to be so formal. You’ll be my son-in-law in a year or two,” he said laughing. But then his face turned serious. “Be careful with my son and make sure he’s back before 10. He still has school tomorrow.”

“Of course sir. I would never harm him.”

Joshua came bounding down the stairs, saving Jeonghan from any more threats. The kid was dressed just as punk rockish as last time. Torn jeans and a shirt that had seen better days and was that a new piercing. it was. The kid had more backbone than Jeonghan thought.

“What are we waiting for?” Joshua asked, putting on his shoes. “Let’s go.”

“Right. Let’s go. Goodbye sir,” Jeonghan said with one last bow, moving Joshua along with a hand placed lightly between his shoulder blades.

Once out the gate Joshua moved away from him.

“There’s no need to put on that much of a show for my dad. He knows I hate this and he’ll get suspicious,” Joshua said, eyeing Jeonghan like he was an idiot as he got into the passenger’s seat.

“Yea well at least one of us has to look like they’re in love or we both screwed here. Child,” Jeonghan replied condescendingly.

“Drive old man. I’d like to get this over with,” Joshua snarled at him.

Jeonghan would’ve called the snarl cute, if he wasn’t getting the smallest bit angry at Joshua. The disrespect he was showing Jeonghan was completely new. He was eight years younger and he was sassing Jeonghan back at every turn.

Breathe Jeonghan breathe. You’ll go to jail if you hit a child.

He parked at a café that he frequented. Alone not with someone. So that would be weird for the workers who knew him. But it afforded them the privacy that they’d need.

“Come on. I’ll get you something. Wait, can kids even drink coffee?”

Joshua scoffed. “Listen old man stop calling me kid. And yes I can drink coffee.”

“Well, stop calling me old man then,” Jeonghan snapped back.

“Fine. Jeonghan.”

They ordered coffee; Joshua ordered some dessert, on Jeonghan’s dime. Sitting down at a secluded table in the corner, they started to talk.

“So what do you want from this,” Jeonghan asked.

“To not marry you,” Joshua snapped back. He sighed as he sipped an Americano, a surprising drink for a kid. “I want to go home. Back to LA when I turn 18 for school and honestly, permanently. There’s no way my dad will let me. He wants me here with him and I don’t want that.” Joshua moved back into his seat, curling up a bit, making him smaller. “You’re my ticket out of here. I’ve got money but I can’t touch it until I’m of age back in the US. Never mind being of age here.”

Jeonghan nodded. Easy enough, Joshua’s wants. “I can do that. We get married. I let you go to LA for school. Sometime later we divorce and you’re home free.”

Joshua nodded, looking at him warily. “What do you want then?”

“I need my parents off my back for my free loving way,” Jeonghan said, spreading his hands. “I—“

“Your dessert sirs,” a waitress said.

“Thank you,” Joshua chirped at her, giving her a rather sweet smile.

Funny. He didn’t think the kid could be so nice and look so cute.

Joshua started to dig into his cake thing.

“So like I said. I need my parents off my back. Marrying you in name will do that. We have that excuse that you’re too young to have children so there’s no need to actually have . We can even postpone the claiming for a bit too, using your age.”

Joshua nodded, putting another spoonful of chocolate cake in his mouth. He let a satisfied hum.

“So while we’re married you can still do your can’t keep it in your pants thing and I can go home,” Joshua said, putting another piece of cake into his mouth, smearing chocolate on his lips.

Jeonghan sat there slightly mesmerized at the way his lips looked. Like a cute little thing that he had to protect and take care of.

He got shaken out of his weird thoughts when Joshua spoke something rather cutting.

“When you do your thing, don’t get anyone pregnant. Especially if we’re not married yet. Because there’s no way I’d marry a cheater and that’ll ruin our plans,” he looked at Jeonghan daggers in his eyes, “when we get married if you knock someone up early on accidentally, I swear I’ll kill you. I need to get out of here before anything happens and if I have to come back to divorce you and my dad makes me stay…” Joshua said trailing off. “Use your contraceptives and protection you dirty old man. I want my old life back and if you it up by getting someone pregnant while we're married I’ll be sure to up your life too.”

Jeonghan blinked. Did this kid just curse at him? All thoughts of his cuteness flew out the window. Gritting his teeth Jeonghan replied, “And what do you know about . You .”

Joshua raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you taking to insulting teenagers now old man? Do you need an ego boost?” Joshua put his spoon down, getting close, hissing at Jeonghan, “I know plenty about and what happens when people who can’t keep it in their pants don’t use protection.”

“I always use protection. Don’t worry your little head about it,” Jeonghan hissed back.

“Good.” Joshua shoveled the rest of the cake in his mouth. “We should write a contract with the terms of our agreement in it. So we don’t go back on our word.”

“You don’t trust me?”

“I don’t trust any adult that’s associated with my dad. Don’t take it personally.”

Jeonghan folded his arms. Once again the little brat surprised him with his level of knowledge. “I can get my lawyer friend to draw something up. And then we can sign it.”

“I’ll have my friend’s dad look at if before I sign anything.”

“You do that.”

Joshua got up from his seat. “Good. We’re done here. Take me home. I don’t want to spend any more time with you than I have too.”

“You’re really ing cheeky aren’t you?” Jeonghan said, eyeing Joshua.

Joshua shrugged. “Can’t help it. People who tell me what to do bring out the worst in me,” he said in a sweet sarcastic manner.

Jeonghan scoffed. “Let’s drop you off.”

On the drive home it was quiet. Blessedly quiet. Jeonghan parked the car in the front gate of Joshua’s home.

As Joshua dismounted he turned around once before closing the door to ask something. “Oh yea did you check out what that woman was hiding from you? If she’s really pregnant with your kid the deal is moot.”

Jeonghan sputtered. The little . “She was hiding a bond. Happy you little brat?”

“Ecstatic. Well not really. You should end the relationship with her. I don’t need a dead husband before I make my escape from Korea. So you know. Call her and end it otherwise you might lose your head. Alphas who encroach on other alpha’s omegas never turn out fine. See you in a few days old man. Better take my advice.” Joshua said with a look, slamming the door as he skipped into his house, the gate closing behind him.

What the ? What the ever flying ? Why did Jeonghan feel like he just lost one battle and he would lose a series of them to this kid? .