10.
OopsDaehyun swore he had never felt so panicked before as he ran through his apartment building, debating on whether he should take the stairs or the elevator. Which did Youngjae take? Where did Youngjae even go? He felt so helpless as he stepped onto the elevator and smashed the number for the lobby.
I messed up, he thought, feeling sick to his stomach. Oh, my god, I messed up so badly. He hurried into the lobby, his eyes scanning for any sign of Youngjae - but, there was nothing. Just an empty lobby. What if Youngjae ran away forever? What if he was never able to find him again?
"Uhh." Junkyu paused, looking at him thoughtfully. "Well, not through here but he went up to the rooftop garden."
And not everyone is as pathetic as me.
He slung the rooftop door open, freezing a bit when he found Youngjae sitting on one of the benches, his back towards him. Daehyun took in a deep breath before approaching him, slowly reaching out and putting a hand on the teen's shoulder. "Youngjae..." He breathed. Youngjae was stiff, silent and Daehyun hated this. "Youngjae, I'm sorry." He said, bending down and pulling Youngjae into his arms from behind.
He expected Youngjae to push him away, to tell him to off, but he didn't. He was just...silent. "I'm so sorry, Youngjae. Please talk to me."
Youngjae was quiet for a moment longer, his voice coming out choked as he tried to say something. He paused, clearing his throat. "Like, I get wanting to know how I am certain and...like-" His words got choked up again, trying so hard not to cry. "But, the way you treated me..."
"I know." Daehyun held him a little tighter before letting go and moving to sit next to him. "I'm so sorry, Youngjae. I... it's no excuse but I just... panicked. I lost it at the thought of the baby not being mine." He tried to look at Youngjae's face but it was hopeless, the teen hiding behind his hoodie. "I love our baby, I really do. I... was scared." He swallowed thickly, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Youngjae."
Daehyun felt horrendous. Absolutely, utterly, completely horrendous. "I'm seriously so sorry, Youngjae." He took in a shaky breath, trying to think of what he could do or say to fix this. He'd messed up, he had messed up so badly. "I panicked. It's ridiculous now but the thought of Himchan taking away my baby..." He rubbed his forehead, feeling so frazzled. "I'm sorry, Youngjae."
Youngjae stared at him, his expression curious and Daehyun knew he wanted to say something. "... Were you jealous?" He finally asked after a moment.
"Jealous?" He repeated out of surprise and Youngjae shrugged. He stared at the teen, watching as Youngjae immediately looked towards the hands in his lap. Jealous? Was he? Maybe... Kind of. He wasn't sure. "I don't know." He finally said.
"Oh." Youngjae said, his tone flat as he played with the hem of his shirt. "The baby is yours, like, the timing just adds up and-"
Daehyun pulled him into his arms, sighing softly. "I don't care. I believe you." He said, feeling slightly relieved when Youngjae leaned into him. "And no matter what, I love that child. I really do." He pulled back a bit, reaching out to gently grab Youngjae's face and make him look at him. "I'm sorry, Youngjae."
"It's 'kay." His voice was so quiet - Daehyun knew he was still hurting. He felt so ing horrible. If he was honest, he never would have thought Youngjae was so fragile and maybe that was stupid of him. The teacher moved closer to him, their thighs touching and Daehyun's arm around his shoulders.
"You can hit me if you want."
Youngjae let out a little giggle at that but he didn't say anything, the two sitting in silence for a while as they watched the sun go down. Daehyun glanced down at the younger, realizing how small the teen felt in his arms and suddenly he felt so, so protective of him. It wasn't just about their baby anymore, he wanted to protect both of them from now on. "I'm sorry." He gently said.
"I said it's 'kay." Youngjae said without taking his eyes off the sunset.
Daehyun stared at him for a moment before leaning in and placing a soft kiss on his cheek, the teen looking at him in surprise once he moved away. He simply smiled. "Do you want to go back in?" He asked, watching as Youngjae's cheeks turned a soft pink.
"Yeah..." The teen breathed and then Daehyun stood up. He wasn't standing longer than a second when he felt a hand slap him hard against his . He yelped before looking at Youngjae like he'd grown two heads and the teen quickly explained himself. "You said I could hit you. You didn't say where." He suddenly grinned.
Daehyun felt so, so relieved. Things were going to be okay. The two left the rooftop and headed towards the elevator, neither saying anything until the doors had closed.
"My hurts."
"Good."
- - - - - - - - - -
Youngjae had never been so thankful for a Sunday and even more thankful that Daehyun had let him sleep in. He'd just felt so exhausted after everything that had happened with Daehyun that as soon as he hit the matress, he was out. The teen placed a hand on his belly, taking in a deep breath when he thought - he wasn't certain - that he felt some movement from his baby. Either that or it was gas.
"Demon, I hope that's you." He softly murmured, closing his eyes. His lips twitched upwards and he was certain that was his baby he was feeling. It was a strange feeling, so... weird and it made everything seem so real. . He thought, there's a life growing in me.
Like a parasite.
"Cutest little parasite demon ever." He let out a blissful sigh, relaxing into the mattress. He stayed there for a bit longer before finally deciding to get up - even though he wanted to stay there for longer. He was certain if he did, though, he was going to piss himself. He finished up in the bathroom before taking in a deep breath, finally ready to face Daehyun again.
He wasn't holding a grudge, he was actually over their little fight. happens, he thought. He knew Daehyun hadn't meant to hurt him but those warm hugs and the kiss on his cheek had Youngjae feeling almost shy. Even just the thought had him feeling like his stomach was doing flips, a warmth spreading throughout his body. He felt sick.
Lovesick.
Youngjae walked into the kitchen, glancing at Daehyun who was immersed in something on his laptop. He muttered a 'morning' before grabbing a box of his favorite cereal off the counter top.
"Afternoon." Daehyun said, motioning towards the clock. "It's three in the afternoon."
"Close enough." The teen said as he reached for a bowl, glancing over when he felt Daehyun's gaze burning into him. The man gave him a small smile before looking away and back towards his laptop. "Can you get me another box of these?" He asked, waving the half empty box of cereal around. "I'm almost out."
The man hummed in reply, nodding his head without taking his eyes off his computer. The air felt so tense and uncomfortable. He really, really didn't like this. "What are you doing?" Youngjae asked as he sat down at the table.
Daehyun paused before smiling awkwardly. He turned the computer to face the teen and when Youngjae saw what he was watching, he let out a sharp laugh. He didn't know what he'd expected but a video of kittens certainly wasn't it. "It's very soothing." The man said, turning his laptop back to himself.
"Why don't you just get a cat of your own?"
"I've thought about it." Daehyun replied. "I actually was going to adopt one right before you moved in. I was really lonely." He let out a soft laugh. "This place is painfully quiet when it's just me." Youngjae wondered if that meant Daehyun was actually happy he was there. The thought seemed kind of ridiculous but it still made him feel good. "Youngjae?"
"Yeah?" Youngjae said before slurping down the milk in his cereal bowl.
"Would you like to meet my family?"
"Huh?" Youngjae reached up and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, unsure if he'd heard Daehyun right.
The man laughed, taking a second to enjoy catching Youngjae off gaurd. "My family is having a gathering this weekend. Do you want to come?"
Youngjae was quiet, biting at his lower lip and then his eyes were downcast. "You don't have to do this, you know? I'm over it." He looked up, giving a small smile. "What happened yesterday."
Daehyun frowned. "It's not that. I mean, yes, that made me wake up a bit but it's not totally that. I've been trying to think of how to introduce you to my family for a long time now. It's either now or just show up one day with the baby. I really want them to meet you." He had gone over everything a million times in his head - how he would tell them, what he would say, how they would react. It was terrifying and nerve wrecking but he couldn't just show up one day with the baby and Youngjae...though, he had considered doing that for a while. "I think you'll like them. They're not like me."
"They don't have a permament stick up the ?" Youngjae casually said, shoving another spoonful of cereal into his mouth. The teacher was quiet for a moment but almost as soon as he opened his mouth to speak, Youngjae cut him off. "Can I borrow a dollar?"
"I gave you your allowance. Where did it go?"
"The jar."
"... Fine." Daehyun shifted and slid his wallet across the table, watching as the teen pulled out a dollar before turning around and dropping it into the jar sitting on the counter top. "I think we need to stop this swear jar thing. It's costing me a fortune."
Youngjae grinned as he picked up the jar and examined it. "We can stop after next week. It's not full yet."
Daehyun let out an incredulous laugh, realizing Youngjae had been cursing more on purpose so that he could get the jar full of money. "I changed my mind. You don't get to keep it. We're going to donate it. I'll even let you pick the charity."
"Oh." Youngjae put it back down. "Donate to me. I'm poor. I'm needy."
The teacher shook his head, feeling so amused as Youngjae stared at him. The teen's expression was so serious and intense. "Youngjae...if you need anything, you can ask me for it. Really. If there is anything you want or need, just ask me." Youngjae was quiet for a moment, his expression turning soft and Daehyun knew his words meant a lot of the teen. "Anyway, you didn't answer my question. Do you want to meet my family?"
The teen was quiet for a moment. "Is that a good idea? Will they even like me?"
"Yes. I honestly think they will like you." Daehyun met eyes with him, the teen looking at him in a mixture of doubt and uncertainity. "I think they'll kill me but I really don't have any doubts that they'll love you." The teen still looked unbelieving but he didn't say anything else. "We'll go pick you out an outfit today, if you want. Oh - and we can start looking at baby stuff too." Youngjae's face lit up at the mention of baby items and Daehyun had to keep himself from smiling. He knew, without a shadow of a doubt, the teen loved their baby.
He just hoped he could prove to Youngjae that he loved their baby too.
- - - - - - - - - -
Trying to get Youngjae to try on clothes felt like Daehyun was pulling teeth. He had been more than a little surprised at how whiny Youngjae got. 'I'm tired, I don't want to, Why do I have to try this on' and Daehyun's personal favorite - 'This is ugly and you're gay.'... Whatever that meant. He had almost just decided Youngjae could try on the clothes at home and he would bring back whatever didn't work but eventually he managed to get the teen into one of the dressing rooms. After a couple of shops and outfits, they'd settled on a loose stripped sweater and some black slacks. For the first time, Daehyun had really managed to get a look a Youngjae's growing stomach. It felt a little strange and his pulse had sped up a bit, feeling nervous and happy at the same time.
"Wow, this is cute." Youngjae murmured as he picked up a child's outfit and examined it.
Youngjae's tune had completely changed when they'd gone to look at baby things. In literally just a second, he'd gone from whiny, grumpy and annoyed to bright, happy and excited. It was endearing, really endearing to Daehyun that the teen cared more about their baby than himself. "We find out the of the baby next appointment, right?"
"Yeah." Youngjae glanced at him, throwing the outfit into the shopping bag he was carrying. "But, I can tell you know, Little Demon is a boy."
Daehyun ignored the nickname, following him as he walked further into the baby aisle. "How do you know?" He asked, feeling somewhat amused as Youngjae threw things into the bag. He hoped he was right - because this was going to be a lot of things to return otherwise.
"I just know." He grinned up at his teacher. "We need like, bottles and diapers and...." He trailed off when someone called out Daehyun's name, the older man turning to face the person. Youngjae slightly moved behind Daehyun, suddenly feeling uncomfortable and awkward when the two hugged.
"Wow, it's been so long since I've last seen you!" The stranger exclaimed, pulling back so he could look over Daehyun.
"I know!" Daehyun sounded equally as excited, grinning. "You look as gorgeous as ever, Seyong." The between the two was so obvious Youngjae felt like gagging.
Youngjae swallowed hard, feeling even more uncomfortable and annoyed. He walked away, leaving the two men chatting. He made his way around the aisle, occasionally glancing back at Daehyun and that man - Seyong. The teen rolled his eyes as Daehyun playfully touched the younger man's arm, the two looking like they were flirting. Gross. He thought, feeling so irrationally annoyed. This is stupid.
He knew exactly what the problem was.
He was jealous.
This was supposed to be his time with Daehyun and their baby. He felt more and more irritated as the minutes passed, pretending to look at the baby items until Daehyun finally met back up with him. The teacher stared at him for a moment, raising an eyebrow when he noticed Youngjae's glare. "You okay?" He hesitantly asked.
"Fine." Youngjae sharply said, turning away from him. "Anyway, like I was saying, we need diapers, bottles, baby toys."
"Youngjae." Daehyun frowned, gently putting his hand on his shoulder. "Are you mad I didn't introduce you?"
The teen let out a soft sigh, quickly thinking of an excuse. "No. Sorry. I'm just hungry." This is so stupid. Youngjae thought. I don't want to like him like this. "Feed me."
"Oh." Daehyun watched him for a moment longer, his expression telling Youngjae he wasn't sure if he believed him or not. "What do you want?"
Your in my mouth, to be honest. He normally would have blurted it out but it just felt... Different now - knowing he liked Daehyun. Really, really liked him. "Salad." He said, wondering why he'd even said that. Maybe, it was because he wanted to impress Daehyun for once.
"Salad?" The teacher couldn't hide the surprise in his voice. "What kind?"
"Um." He said. "That weird one you brought home the other day. That one."
Daehyun slowly nodded his head and then it was quiet for a moment. Quiet and awkward before finally, the man spoke. "Youngjae, you're lying aren't you? You hated it." When the teen didn't reply, he laughed. "You don't have to change yourself, okay? I'm sorry for making you feel like you had to." He really never wanted to make Youngjae feel unworthy or like something was wrong with him again.
"I really want it though." He couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face.
"Really?" Daehyun tilted his head. "Because I want a burger."
Youngjae mock gasped, placing his hand over his heart. "You're going to die of a heart attack!"
The man rolled his eyes but there was no real annoyance on his face. "Balance. You've taught me balance is good. Something unhealthy every now and then is okay."
Youngjae forced himself not to smile, turning away from the teacher. "I guess...you taught me sometimes something healthy isn't bad, either." He trailed off for a moment. "Like, water is pretty damn good. Kale still though."
Daehyun laughed. "Come on, let's go check out." He said. "We'll come back later after we've figured out everything we need."
"'Kay."
"And then we'll go get your salad and my burger." He quickly added. It was silent for a moment, Youngjae's expression making it clear he was debating on saying something.
"...Can I get a burger instead?"
The man laughed, feeling almost close with the teen. "Mmhmm, that's what I thought." Youngjae stuck his tongue out before hurrying off towards the registers, Daehyun following a couple of seconds later. The fight he'd had with the teen had been miserable and terrifying but in a way, Daehyun was glad it happened. It should have been like this from the start - him being patient and trying to understand Youngjae. If not for their fight, he would have gotten upset with the teen for how he'd acted just a few minutes ago. It felt so nice to actually communicate with him.
Daehyun truly felt happy and he hoped Youngjae did too.
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