[CONTENTID1]10[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2][/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

Donghae was sitting on the dining chair when a thought struck him out of nowhere.

“Hyung, what is a ?”

He didn't see Hyukjae's reaction because the couch the man was sitting on was not facing the open kitchen, but Donghae did hear his water or coffee being spurted out of his mouth. But it wasn't Hyukjae if his poise wasn't perfectly composed.

“It stands for Bring Daddy Some McChickens. So please, baby, will you help me out?”

“Hyung!” Donghae whined. He wasn't stupid. “Stop throwing dad jokes.” He knew what stood for. He just wanted to know if Hyukjae knew about it, or if the man was just an ordinary conventional man who secretly liked it when Donghae called him daddy.

Pouting, Donghae scurried towards where Hyukjae was lounging. The man looked up from his tablet and smiled warmly—it seemed like he was spurting water earlier, thank God, and not coffee. He had his working glasses on, a rose-gold colored frame that complimented his fair skin perfectly. 

Donghae blushed.

“What is it, Hae?” Hyukjae extended a hand to pull him closer. “You always managed to surprise me with your not-safe-for-work questions.”

Donghae let himself be pulled closer. “It's called being curious.”

“A curious baby is good.”

“I'm not a baby.” He puffed out his cheeks with the power that could rival a kid’s—and immediately un-puffed them, because, holy hell! He just gave Hyukjae hyung a blackmail material for free.

“You didn't answer my question.” Donghae stated and put his hands on his hips. Hyukjae chuckled before straightened up. He had one leg over another, a pose he obtained from sinking too deep into work. That, or maybe some tetris game.

“So where's my sandwich?”

“Hyung!”

“Why do you want to know, little boy?” Hyukjae tutted. “I relented and gave you your precious buzzing device (“Don't call it that!” Donghae shrieked) and now you want to know about altogether?”

Donghae folded his arms. “So you know about it.”

“I know about everything in the adult world, very unlike you. Or maybe you are just pretending, because you like to see me stuttering to choose words that aren't crude.”

“Seeing you stuttered the word ‘daddy’ was enough to satisfy me.”

“Bad puppy,” Hyukjae glared and pretended to swat the boy with his hand. Donghae ducked with a squeal. “So, why did you ask?”

“I was watching a movie.”

“What movie? I will have to monitor your movie subscription.”

“Hyung, you're not my father!” He protested. The frown in his face deepened as Hyukjae merely threw his head back and laughed, his eyes glinting with playfulness—in a way that Donghae recognized. This man was playing with him.

“Stop messing with me,” Donghae pinched his arm. Hyukjae shrieked, but continued giggling. “Hyung!”

“Fine, fine, little one. Hold that sandwich. I'm sure you know what it stands for already?”

“It stands for bon—”

“There's no need to spell it out.”

“But-!”

Hyukjae hesitated for a moment, unsure how much to reveal. Donghae's innocence—while the boy insisted that he was not innocent—was precious, and he didn't want to taint it with something Donghae might not fully understand. "Anyways. It's a term used for a type of relationship dynamic," he started cautiously. "It can involve things like power play, dominance and submission, and—" he trailed off, searching for the right words.

“Like in those novels?”

“Donghae, what did you read?” Hyukjae let out a staggering laugh. “Maybe a little bit. Maybe totally different at all. You can't compare what was written in those books to reality, sweetheart. It's something deeper than just what happens in the bedroom. It's about trust and communication, about setting boundaries and respecting each other's needs.”

Donghae's brow furrowed slightly. "Boundaries? You wouldn't hurt me, right?"

Hyukjae reached out and gently tucked a stray curl behind Donghae's ear. "Baby, I would strangle myself before I even thought about hurting you," he said firmly. "Safety and consent are the most important things. In it, or any relationship for that matter."

Seeing the thoughtful expression on Donghae's face, Hyukjae decided to tread carefully. "Why are you curious about this, sweetheart?" he asked gently.

Donghae blushed. “It looks interesting.” He said sheepishly.

Hyukjae leaned back. His eyes glinted with amusement and a tad bit of worry. Probably because he never expected this kind of question coming from Donghae—especially not on a Saturday morning. “Interesting?”

“And a bit scary.”

“It can be both.”

“Oh,” Donghae fidgeted. Then, with a voice no more above whisper, he asked. “Have you done it?”

Hyukjae bit back a smile. Donghae's curiosity was always so precious. Although, sometimes, it would catch Hyukjae off guard—especially when he had yet prepared an answer for it. Gently, as if he was coaxing a scared fawn, he extended his arm.

“Why don't you sit in my lap?”

There was some kind of battle clashing within Donghae's eyes, a mix of defiance and curiosity, but eventually he accepted Hyukjae's outstretched hand and clumsily climbed into the older man's lap. Hyukjae held his hands and looked up, a wide smile etched on his handsome face. The smile was so dopey and attractive that it made Donghae suddenly feel shy.

“Answer it.” He challenged, his cheeks tinged red.

“Yes.” Hyukjae admitted head on. Donghae gasped. The thought of his Hyukjae hyung, his gentle Hyukjae hyung—who never (playfully) hit him back after Donghae thwacked him with a wooden spoon thrice—being in such an intense dynamic, was striking him off his composure.

“W-when?”

“Hmm… six or seven years ago? I was in my late twenties.” Hyukjae mushed his cheeks when Donghae gasped dramatically for the second time. “Hey, it was just a fling. Only lasted about a month. Or less. I don't even know her name.”

“Oh.” There wasn't anything like accusation in his wide eyes, only an increasing curiosity and maybe a hint of something like apprehension. To ease his nerves, Hyukjae put a hand on the boy's cheek, swiping his thumb under the very eye that was looking at him very widely that it was endearing, but also he was a bit wary that Donghae's eyes would fall off their sockets at any time.

“How was it?”

“Intense,” Hyukjae replied, thoughtful. He had nothing to hide. “I met her at the club. She was an experienced switch. Showed me what she wanted and all.”

“Switch??” Donghae squeaked. Then something hit him and his voice went a bit higher. “S-she?!”

Hyukjae leaned in and kissed Donghae on the cheek. “It wasn't something I was ready for,” he said softly. “Donghae, you know how I was in the past. Control and trust weren't something I could just give up to anyone. We ended it after less than a month because it couldn't work—because I couldn't trust her. That,” Hyukjae smiled playfully as he tapped the boy's nose. “and also because I don't feel the spark with women.”

The way Donghae resembled a tomato was hilarious. Hyukjae watched him in amusement. He realized he had never openly talked about this kind of thing with Donghae. Maybe he should have talked about this to