Here ya go. 

It’s 12am.

A male is sat up in bed, with his laptop on his knees scrolling through the many pictures provided online through a private safeguarded account. Child after child, Toddler after toddler, Baby after baby. He needs to sleep, as tomorrow he is going to choose one of those. But he wants to make sure that he get the right one. He has too, it’s very important to him. He once was an orphan. And he was never adopted and ended up in a lifestyle of drugs and abuse. If it wasn’t for the love of his life saving him. Jonghyun knew his fate could have been disastrous .  

His partner shuffles in the bed. Rolling over and grumbling that he go to sleep and turn of the light. Jonghyun his fingers through his partners hair to sooth him back to sleep. ‘Just a few more minutes’.

He pauses on the last kid. A 8 year old boy with large eyes, dark hair and a wide smile. He is the oldest one of the lot. He smiles at the pictures of him playing in the garden, before shutting the lid of his laptop and putting it own beside his bed. His partner pull him into his arms as he lays down, and kisses his cheek. ‘We will know which one we want when we get there okay’.

Jonghyun nods. ‘I know’.

~

Jonghyun and Jinki have been inside the building for maybe 20 minutes. It’s a event day where many couples wanting to adopt will look around and see if they can connect with a child. Most have already headed for the newborns. Some others went for the toddlers. Jonghyun has been more concerned about the place just allowing anyone inside without proof of their meaningful visit and has already complained to the head of the Orphanage.

They are looking at information on one child, when Jinki jumps as a voice startles him.

‘Hi!’

They look down to the child at the desk they are standing at.

It’s the dark haired, large eyed kid the oldest of the lot. Jonghyun smiles brightly at him.

‘Hey little guy, what is your name?’

‘I’m Minho, and i am  8. I was asked to show you all the kids because I know which ones are the best’. He grins proudly.

‘Oh really?’ Jonghyun looks at Jinki who smiles back.

‘Yeah, come with me’. He bounces on his feet at little, and grabs a hand each walking ahead of the two leading them to the set rooms. ‘Do you want a boy or a girl?’ he asks when they reach an hallway.

‘Erm well...we haven't decided on one yet but-’

‘Okay we can go see the girls first!’ he turns another corner, and takes them up some stairs.

‘We have Naeun who is only a baby. She is very loud at night. But she is a good baby’. He shows them a infant in a cot who is currently sleeping. There is already a couple watching her and whispering about choosing her. Jonghyun looks at Jinki who looks slightly terrified of the baby. It was no secret that Jinki always found newborns very hard to handle. Not that he didn’t like them he just felt like his hands were too big and rough to hold them

‘And we also have Jaena’. Minho speaks, the two turn and find a young toddler in the next cot who smiles at them. She has a red mark poster taped on her cot meaning she had already been chosen.

Minho turns and whispers to Jonghyun ‘She likes to throw her toys at you’.

As they step away a toy comes flying and hits Jinki in the face.

Minho shows them through all the toddlers playing in the playroom. The place a little crowded from other couples. But Minho names every single one of them, like a big brother. He then waits for them to nosey around before leading them to the males.

Jonghyun was tired after a while the place was huge, and there was just so many children to look through. Minho is still with them, and places two water bottles on the table for them, and an apple each. Jinki thanks him and drinks the water in one. But Jonghyun seems distracted by the stress of finding a child. He looks at Minho who is watching a couple take Jaena, and waving her off.

‘Hey Minho, why don't you tell us about yourself’.

Minho looks to the couple and takes the small step up stool from the corner, before placing it at the table so he can stand up and see them.

‘I am Minho and I am 8’.

‘What do you like Minho?’ Jonghyun asks him.

‘Football’ Minho beems ‘I play everyday before bed’.

‘Anything else?’

‘Erm...music. I like dancing when we do erm game exercise!’

‘Did you know your parents?’ Jonghyun asked. He is aware that some of the children here are mixed with open adoptions. Minho gives a nod. He then pouts a little.

‘I knew Mummy. Don’t have a Daddy’.

‘Is she in Heaven?’ Jinki asked. ‘Is that why you are here?’

Minho shook his head. ‘No...mummy didn’t want me. She says I was erm...she says I was always in the house, she didn’t want me there. So...Mummy take me here. And then Mummy went to holiday and didn’t come back’.  

Jonghyun coos at the tears that appear in his large eyes. Though young such a thing could leave wounds. ‘Oh that is awful’ He says to Jinki before turning back to the child. ‘How long have you been here?’

‘Three erm...three years.’ Minho holds up his fingers.

Jonghyun pouts asking more questions. Jinki takes a bite of his apple as he watches the two. He knows instantly what child they would be taking home.

~

‘Minho?’

‘Yeah’.

‘Well his mother was an drug addict, she didn’t want him. Left him outside our doors continuously for at least two years. Eventually the Police took him off her. He arrived here in the worst state ever. He had nits, and fleas, his hair was overgrown. He has no social awareness. I mean he has come a long way being here, so he’ll be fine when he grows up. But he’s 8 and he has 2 more years before we send him off to a boarding school. Nobody wants to adopt a kid. I’m sure he has accepted that no-one wants him. But he will go far i’m sure’.

‘I want him. Don’t we Jinki!’ Jonghyun huffs at the adoption worker. ‘What selfish minded thoughts you have to presume that just because he is a child that no-one could ever adopt him! Infact I bet he is the best choice out of all 58 children you have here!’

Jinki looks at Jonghyun surprised. Before he smiles nodding.

‘Fine, just fill out these papers and he’s all yours’.

Jonghyun snatches the paperwork and scribbles furiously his signature, before pushing it along to Jinki.

~

Minho smiles brightly, he has been waiting outside, waiting for them since they went inside.

‘Who did you pick?’ he was excited to see who was going home with them. He hoped he had helped them choose the best child.  

‘Our favourite’. Jonghyun smiled kneeling down before him. ‘And it is all thanks to you’.

Minho beems brightly ‘Is it Jaeun?’

‘No’

‘Kimsoo?’ He asked puzzled.

‘No Minho, we picked you. We want to adopt you and take you home with us’.

Minho blinks in surprise. Before large water droplets pool in his eyes and he bursts into tears. He leaps at Jonghyun, crying into his shoulder. ‘Don’t lie!’ He says. ‘You can’t lie!’

‘We are not lying Minho’. Jinki grins kneeling down next to the two. ‘We want to adopt you today’.

Minho cries harder. So hard that he starts coughing on his sobs. Jonghyun wipes his face and tears and kisses his head. ‘Oh Minho’.

Minho barely has anything to take with him. But he is still crying on the long journey home. When he steps into the home he will now be living, he is shy. Jonghyun leads him to a room and opens the door to let him see inside. ‘This Minho, will be your room, and don’t worry about the cot. We will get you a proper bed. Tonight you can sleep on the pull out bed, later or tomorrow we will go out and order you a bed’.

Minho sniffles before turning and hugging Jonghyun tight. ‘Thank you Jonghyun’.

The male kneels down. ‘I told you, you can call me Appa now, and Jinki he is your Papa’.

The child sniffles still clinging to express pure honest thankfulness. ‘Thank you Appa’.

~

‘Waah look at him Jinki!’

Minho blushes as he stand ready for school. It’s his first day at his new school. They had to transfer him closer to home as his old school was a good distance. He has been really sweet and thankful to be adopted and not once had he ever dared to rebel. Anything they asked he will do.

Jonghyun grabs his phone taking snap after snap. ‘So handsome’ He grins. ‘Smile for me’. Minho shows all teeth as he poses ‘Can I go now? I want to make new friends’.

‘Just one more’ Jonghyun snaps a final one, then grabs his keys and coat.

~

It’s Minho’s first birthday in his new home with his new family. And boy was he spoilt. Never ever has he gotten a birthday as grand at this. The cake was huge. The gifts was more than he hoped. Every friend he wanted over arrived. His extended family, grandparents and uncles and aunts and cousins were all there.

His wish was that this never went away.

The days pass and everyone seems content but Minho is told something at school that hurts him. And as he is ready for bed the comment tortures his mind.

It was late. Jonghyun and Jinki was laid in bed Jinki fast asleep and Jonghyun watching a film on his laptop. The door squeaks open and Minho steps in. He has his head hung low and walks over slowly.

Jonghyun moves his laptop and shuffles over patting the end of his bed so Minho can sit.

‘Are you okay?’

‘No…’

‘What is it?’

‘Someone said that I was not wanted because I used to be an orphan. He said my Mummy didn’t want me and you don’t want me. You just got me because it was a good deed’.  

‘Who said that!’ Jonghyun growls.

‘Just a boy at school’. Minho sniffles and wipes some tears.

‘Yeah well when he was born I bet he was an ugly baby and his parents couldn’t change that, so they are stuck with him. And I bet there are times when his mother regrets having him because of how rude and horrible he is. Where as when we picked you, out of many little children. We did it because we wanted you. We could have picked any child but I wanted you. Just you. No-one else’.

Minho half smiles. ‘Promise?’

‘I promise this is true, until my last breath’.

Minho wipes his wet tear stains and hugs Jonghyun. ‘I love you Appa’.

Jonghyun takes a shocked breath. That is the first time Minho has ever said it. He hugs Minho back tightly. ‘I love you too’.

‘I love you three’ Jinki murmurs.

After a while Jonghyun shuffles to the centre of the bed. Minho climbs in and snuggles beside him, sleeping as soon as his head rests upon Jonghyun’s arm. Jonghyun smiles blessed to have such a sweet child in his life. He closes his eyes but smiles more as he feel Jinki shuffle and cling onto him from behind.

‘You definitely chose the right one’ Jinki whispers.

‘I chose the best one’.

Hope you liked it XD