Jongin sweeps out of the conference room once the situation is taken care of. It’s barely even nine in the morning and one of their minor competitors in the same line of business is already trying to slap them with a lawsuit. Baseless, of course; Jongin shuts it down within minutes of scanning the document, calmly threatening to hit their company back with an even bigger lawsuit for false claims and defamation unless they back down.

 

The rep’s expression sours, paling at the threat and storms out wordlessly. The rest of the room is silent, impressed by his thoroughness. Having a double major in law comes in handy, Jongin muses after delegating some work that he needs done by the end of the day.

 

 

His secretary. Seulgi, follows him out of the room, holding out a document she needs his signature on while reminding him about the day’s schedule.

 

 

“Wait, what time is the Jung and Lee meeting?” Jongin stops suddenly in his tracks, startling Seulgi into nearly walking into him.

 

 

“3.30, sir.”

 

 

Jongin bites his lip, glancing at his wristwatch quickly. “Can we push it up an hour?”

 

 

Seulgi blinks and scrambles to look through the schedule on her tablet to adjust the time slots.

 

 

“We can move the Choi meeting up to 2 o’clock to fit it in afterwards. I’ll call to let them know.”

 

 

“Thanks, Seulgi,” Jongin turns to sign the documents Soojung brings up to him and marches back into his office, collapsing into his leather chair and deflates.

 

 

Swiveling around, he brings his computer screen to life again and smiles at the picture that loads on his desktop. Maybe he should make pasta tonight. Or some potato smiley faces might work too, if there’s even any left in the freezer. He’ll have to figure it out when he gets home.

 

 

For now, he sighs as someone else knocks on his door to bring in another batch of documents to go through and sign, he needs to focus on work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

☼

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Thank you for coming, I’ll have my secretary send the contract over immediately.”

 

 

Jongin bows down low and holds the door open for the investors, smiling and bowing again as they file out of the conference room. He waits until they’ve disappeared around the corner before scrambling to gather his papers off the table and makes a mad dash back to his office. He nearly trips over his own feet as he tries to check the time, barrelling into the room to collect the rest of his things quickly.

 

 

“, , ,” he hisses, looking for his car keys.

 

 

“Seulgi!” he calls when he bursts out of his office in the fastest stride he can manage without actually breaking into a run. “I’m heading for an appointment now, I’ll be back soon. Please make sure to take my calls.”

 

 

He streaks through the carpark to find his car, jabbing the key in and yanking the door open before pulling out into the street.

 

 

“Come on,” he groans when he rounds a corner straight into a line of traffic. They move at a snail’s pace until he manages to turn into a side street and manages to avoid the rest of the line. The school gates come into sight up ahead after almost fifteen minutes of driving.

 

 

Miraculously, he finds a parking space just around the corner and leaps out of the car, rushing up to the front steps where Kyungsoo is waiting for him with an exasperated smile.

 

 

“I’m so sorry!” he wheezes, frazzled. “The meeting stretched on longer than I expected, I came as fast as i could.”

 

 

“He’s sitting by the door,” Kyungsoo says, gesturing behind him.

 

 

“Thanks hyung,” Jongin dashes up the stairs, skipping two at a time.

 

 

“Appa!”

 

 

Jongin drops down on one knee, holding his arms open as the little boy running towards him hurtles into his chest.

 

 

"Hi sweetheart."

 

 

He hugs his son close, breathing out a sigh.

 

 

"Did you have fun at school?" he asks when he pulls away. Taeoh nods so hard his hair falls into his face and he nearly loses his balance off the step.

 

 

"Careful!" Jongin cautions, holding him up from his sides. Giggling, Taeoh raises his hands up above his head, wiggling pointedly.

 

 

Jongin chuckles, leaning down to press their foreheads together and Taeoh scrunches up his nose, trying to suppress his laugh.

 

 

"Ready to fly?" he asks, right before lifting him off the ground with a whooshing sound, swinging him up in the air.

 

 

Taeoh screams with laughter, trying to make plane sounds with his lips too as Jongin pretends to fly him all the way down to the gate where Kyungsoo is still waiting, looking amused.

 

 

"Thanks again, hyung," Jongin says gratefully, lowering Taeoh to hold him against his side with an arm around his waist. He can feel Taeoh swinging his legs, giggling when Jongin wiggles him. "I swear it won’t happen again."

 

 

"It's fine Jongin, seriously," Kyungsoo waves him off, clapping him gently on the shoulder. He bids them both goodbye and Jongin takes Taeoh back to his car. He makes sure the seatbelt is on securely before clambering back into the driver's seat and pulls out onto the street again.

 

 

It’s a longer drive still to get to the daycare but Jongin manages to avoid the congestion of traffic from the get go this time. Parking quickly, he hops out to go around and sit in the backseat next to Taeoh. He chances a quick glance at his watch; he’s still got time.

 

 

He pulls Taeoh into his lap for a moment, trying to squeeze in some proper quality time with him before leaving again.

 

 

“So, did you eat all your fruit?” Jongin asks solemnly and Taeoh nods earnestly.

 

 

“All five of them!” he beams proudly, holding up four fingers to Jongin’s face.

 

 

Snorting, Jongin corrects his fingers and promptly tickles his sides. “That’s my boy.”

 

 

Taeoh squeals, wriggling and scrambling to get away from the tickle attack. Jongin’s momentary pause spurs Taeoh on to retaliate almost immediately, leaping up to jab his fingers into Jongin’s neck. He shrieks with laughter when Jongin flaps his arms, yelling his defeat and begging for mercy.

 

 

“Okay, okay,” Jongin says, straightening his shirt. “It’s time to go inside and play with the other kids, okay? I’ll come pick you up again later, as usual.”

 

 

Taeoh nods, raising his arms expectantly and Jongin leans down for Taeoh to hug his neck, and plant a clumsy kiss onto his cheek.

 

 

He holds his little hand in his own as he leads him into the daycare and leaves him with Yongsun, one of the head caregivers..

 

 

Once Taeoh’s safely inside, Jongin dashes back to his car and heads back to the office.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

☼

 

 

 

 

 

 

He’s back to pick Taeoh up on time later, when he finally leaves work to head home. There’s still a few more documents that he needs to finalize as soon as he gets to his study though. He goes through them quickly, shooting off the last batch of emails that need to be sent out urgently before shutting his laptop off for the day and pushing it aside.

 

 

Taeoh’s watching the movie Jongin put in for him, bouncing on the couch in time with the music. Smiling fondly, Jongin heads for the kitchen to get dinner ready.

 

 

He makes the potato smileys as planned, sliding some onto his own plate too beside the rest of the greens. Taeoh makes a face at the brussel sprouts, of course, and Jongin has to stop him from knocking them off his plate. Instead, he stabs one of the potatoes with his fork and holds it up in front of Taeoh.

 

 

“A kiss for Mr. Potato?”

 

 

He watches as Taeoh contemplates his own potatoes before scooping one up, cheering when Taeoh happily bumps it into Jongin’s smiley.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

☼

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the board meeting finally ends, Jongin has a blooming headache and a cluster of problems in his hands. Their biggest competitor is trying to close the same exact list of clients as their own, meaning they could risk losing all their investors if they don’t come up with a good solution, fast.

 

 

Jongin sighs. This means working overtime to make sure the entire firm doesn’t crumble into dust.

 

 

He heads for his office, mulling over the magnitude of the problem, wondering where to even start with fixing this. Distracted, Jongin scrambles for his phone vibrating in his pocket, swiping it without even looking.

 

 

“Hello?”

 

 

“Hello, Mr. Kim? This is Yongsun, from the daycare centre.”

 

 

Jongin feels a sudden bubble of panic rising in his chest. “Is something wrong? Is Taeoh okay?”

 

 

“Yes, he’s alright, don’t worry! We’re trying to call all the parents as soon as possible to give the news.”

 

 

“News?” Jongin asks confused.

 

 

“I’m really sorry about telling you all on such short notice, we just got notice of it ourselves but the daycare is shutting down.”

 

 

“What?” Jongin runs a hand to his hair and slumps down onto his chair. “Why? When?”

 

 

“In two weeks. The landholder signed on with a new contractor and they’re shutting us down. Again, I’m sorry this is so out of the blue.”

 

 

Dropping his phone on the table, Jongin leans his elbows on the mahogany surface and buries his face in his hands with a sigh. There isn’t even another daycare centre anywhere else within driving distance.

 

 

“Dammit,” he groans, glancing at the picture on his desktop again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

☼

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Are those matching slippers?”

 

 

Baekhyun notices Jongin’s dog slippers the second he steps through the door, laughing when Taeoh comes running to greet him in his own dog slippers.

 

 

“They’re cute right? I got them online,” Jongin beams, setting the tray of drinks down on the coffee table where Jongdae and Kyungsoo are already seated around.

 

 

“Oh they’re something alright,” Baekhyun chuckles, sitting down next to Kyungsoo.

 

 

Jongin forgoes the couch altogether, sinking down to the floor where Taeoh is busy playing with his toys and pulls him into his lap, crossing his legs comfortably. Undeterred, Taeoh leans back into his chest and runs his little toy car along Jongin’s knee.

 

 

Jongin updates them on the situation and the problem with the daycare, his brows furrowing again.

 

 

‘I mean maybe I can bring him to work, keep him in my office?”

 

 

He knows it’s a bad idea before he’s even done suggesting it. He’s constantly bouncing in and out of the office, busy attending conferences and meetings that sometimes mean leaving the premises entirely. Taeoh would still end up being alone most of the time anyway.

 

 

“I think you should consider getting a babysitter,” Baekhyun urges him gently. “You know we would do it if we could, Jongin. You need someone with more time on their hands.”

 

 

Jongin stays silent, anxiously pressing his face close to Taeoh’s. Where is he going to find someone good enough to trust with his son? Convincing himself to leave Taeoh at the daycare had already been a monumental battle in itself. Maybe this is a bad idea. He just wants Taeoh to be happy–

 

 

“You’re burning yourself out, Jongin. You won’t admit it but you weren’t even this exhausted when he was born,” Kyungsoo reasons with him, seeing right through him as always.

 

 

Jongdae squeezes his shoulder and Jongin hangs his head in defeat, knowing full well that they’re right. He reaches up to squeeze his hand back, grateful for the support despite how conflicted he is..

 

 

Baekhyun slides off the couch, joining him on the floor and reaches out for Taeoh to pull him onto his own lap instead. Hugging him close to his chest, Baekhyun turns him so that he’s still facing Jongin.

 

 

“Your appa really loves you, you know that?”

 

 

Baekhyun smooshes his cheek against Taeoh’s and throws cutesy eyes at Jongin, in an attempt to coax a smile back onto his face.

 

 

“Looks like someone else needs a cuddle,” Jongdae suddenly slides down on the floor behind Jongin and tries to tug him into his lap, wrapping his arms around his stomach to keep him from squirming away. Hugging him tightly from behind, Jongdae coos at him, using his high pitched baby voice. He tickles his sides until Jongin is laughing helplessly, frantically trying to escape his fingers.

 

 

“Hyung help!” he calls out to Kyungsoo, still sitting on the couch..

 

 

Chuckling, Kyungsoo slides down to his knees and shuffles forward only to hold Jongin down by his legs. Jongin yells, trying to shake him off but Jongdae keeps tickling him and ruffling his hair playfully. Taeoh shrieks with laughter where he’s perched on Baekhyun’s knee, bouncing and clapping happily.

 

 

“Alright, alright I surrender!” Jongin yelps and Jongdae finally stops tickling him, long enough for Jongin to roll away. He slumps back down on the floor, wheezing as he stares up at the ceiling. He’ll have to put out an ad tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

☼

 

 

 

 

 

 

He goes through a handful of potential babysitters before he starts to notice a pattern.

 

 

Jongin had been prepared for the influx of calls from students, knowing all too well that any chance to earn some extra cash wouldn’t be passed up.

 

 

What he hadn’t been expecting was the specific interest in his money; or rather the luxury that supposedly comes with his name. He’s a little floored by how extensively they’ve looked into him.

 

 

It’s working against him if the third bargaining attempt to scrounge a tripled pay rate out of him is anything to go by. Money isn’t the issue; he’d pay their weight in gold if he knew it would all be for Taeoh’s benefit. But not one of them even showed any interest in Taeoh, or in kids at all for that matter, before asking about the pay and the benefits they’d gain from his house.

 

 

They’re here for the money, sure, but he needs them to be here for his son. He can’t bring himself to trust anyone who would look at Taeoh and see dollar signs first. His temper starts to fray when one college kid has to gall to ask if he’ll get to use one of Jongin’s cars while on the job.

 

 

Frankly, Jongin can’t really afford to be so picky at this point; he’s running out of time. It’s just that he needs to find someone who will prioritize Taeoh the way he needs him to. Jongin’s not so sure he’ll even find one at the rate it’s going.

 

 

He almost gives up, deleting the rest of the emails from interested applicants in frustration. He regrets it seconds later, but he’s tired and anxious. Sighing, he throws another glance at Taeoh playing happily with his toys in his play area.
Jongin drops his head in his hands; he just doesn’t want his son to ever feel lonely or neglected; he’s been trying so hard to balance everything around him, to always have time for him.

 

 

Dragging a hand across his face, Jongin opens up his inbox again to restore the unread emails he’d just binned. The notice in his spam box catches his eye before he does though and he clicks on the single email, surprised to see an applicant’s message winding up in there.

 

 

Park Chanyeol. Jongin clicks on his name curiously, opening up the brief profile page it’s linked to. There’s not much besides his basic details; he’s actually a couple of years older than Jongin. Blinking, Jongin stares at the email again, intrigued. He can’t be any worse than the youngsters that have turned up so far.

 

 

After a moment’s thought, he shoots off a reply, asking him to meet. He leaves the rest of the emails in the trash.

 

 

 

 

 

Chanyeol smiles brightly when Jongin opens the door to let him in, bowing as he steps inside.

 

 

He leads him into the living room, inviting him to sit down on one of the armchairs adjacent to the couch while he gets them drinks for the kitchen.

 

 

When he comes back, Chanyeol is holding one of the picture frames from the coffee table in his hands, studying it intently.

 

 

“Is this him?” he asks, looking up when Jongin comes back, nodding in affirmation. “He’s cute!”

 

 

Beaming proudly, Jongin takes his seat on the couch. Good start.

 

 

“Thank you for coming,” he starts, clasping his hands together on his lap. “I didn’t realize finding a babysitter would be this tricky, to be honest.”

 

 

Chanyeol nods understandingly, taking a sip from his tea. “Work must be pretty busy, huh? Do you work in a firm or something?”

 

 

Jongin blinks in surprise. He must have no idea who Jongin is, which is brilliant. It’s not like he wouldn’t find out soon enough but at least the initial approach is more sincere than anyone else he’s seen so far. Maybe he’s finally found someone who’s not looking to gain more than expected. Jongin nods.

 

 

“Thought so,” Chanyeol nods back knowingly. “I used to babysit my sister’s kids when she got transferred to a bigger law firm."

 

 

“What about you?” Jongin probes. “What do you do?”

 

 

“Uh, well,” Chanyeol smiles, setting his tea down on the table. “I’m a novelist. I’ve got a couple of books published already and I’m working on a new one now. I get to work from home pretty much every day.”

 

 

“Impressive,” Jongin says, genuinely interested. “Though I don’t think I’ve ever come across your work yet.”

 

 

Chanyeol laughs at Jongin’s apologetic tone, waving him off good naturedly. “All in good time, I say.”

 

 

“So why exactly are you interested in babysitting?”

 

 

“Honestly? Besides the fact that I love kids anyway. I’m actually stuck in a bit of a slump, I thought maybe a change of environment might help jumpstart some inspiration,” Chanyeol scratches the back of his head, sounding a little embarrassed. “I guess kids tend to feed off my energy and I feed off theirs back.”

 

 

Jongin is slightly taken aback at his honestly, though appreciating it silently. He shoots off a few more questions about his experience with kids, trying to test him with tons of questions which Chanyeol answers easily. He seems to check out on all points, more or less.

 

 

Eventually he runs out of things to ask and finally stops the interview there, satisfied. He sees Chanyeol out with a smile, still needing time to think it over properly but promises to give him a call.

 

 

Chanyeol returns his smile graciously, inclining his head politely before taking off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When he’s done telling the others about the interview with Chanyeol the day before, his friends are positively beaming.

 

 

“So when does he start?” Kyungsoo asks, reaching over Baekhyun to take another slice of pizza from the box on the coffee table.

 

 

“I told him I’d think about it…” Jongin mumbles, averting his eyes.

 

 

He yelps at the sudden smack of a pillow against the back of his head, whirling around to gape at Jongdae indignantly.

 

 

“Why’d you do that?” Jongdae demands incredulously, looking up at the others for support. Kyungsoo promptly prods Jongin’s forehead with his finger, clicking his tongue disapprovingly while Baekhyun shakes his head.

 

 

“He sounds like he was a perfect for the job, Jongin. You can’t afford to keep putting this off much longer,” Kyungsoo tells him.

 

 

Jongin pouts, lowering his head to look at where Taeoh’s settled in his lap again, playing with his toys.

 

 

“Your uncles are so mean to appa,” he grumbles to him and Taeoh happily reaches up and smacks him on the cheek. Jongin’s eyes linger on Taeoh’s face, feeling worried and anxious enough that he can feel it squeezing in his chest.

 

 

The others seem to sense the change in mood because Baekhyun reaches over to squeeze his the back of his neck reassuringly.

 

 

“You’re not your dad, Jongin,” he says quietly, and Jongin drops his head. “You do more than enough for Taeoh. There’s nothing wrong with getting a babysitter, just for a while.”

 

 

He sighs.

 

 

“I’ll call him tomorrow.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

☼

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jongin still picks Taeoh up from school himself to take him home where Chanyeol is supposed to meet them before Jongin leaves again. He’d already explained everything to Taeoh from beforehand, making sure he understands that someone new is coming. Still, Jongin uses the ride to explain everything again before they get there so Taeoh’s not frightened to suddenly find Chanyeol there.

 

 

He’s waiting for them on the porch when Jongin lets them all inside, leading them to the living room before starting.

 

 

“Taeoh, this is Chanyeol. He’s going to play lots of fun games with you until appa gets home okay?”

 

 

Taeoh hides behind Jongin’s leg shyly, clinging to the fabric of his pants. His whisper of ‘hello’ is lost in Jongin’s leg.

 

 

Chanyeol drops down onto his haunches, hugging his knees and he smiles brightly at Taeoh. He waves his hand cheerfully when he introduces himself again.

 

 

“He’s a bit shy around new people,” Jongin laughs nervously, sinking down to Taeoh’s level to hug him into his side.

 

 

“Be good, okay? I’ll be home as soon as I can.” he presses a kiss into the side of Taeoh’s head before straightening up again. Chanyeol stands with him.

 

 

He must look as anxious as he feels because Chanyeol’s eyes soften.

 

 

“He’s in good hands, I promise.”

 

 

Exhaling, Jongin glances at his watch before launching into a quick speech, recapping everything he’d already filled Chanyeol in on in his last email one more time.

 

 

“...he’s a bit difficult with broccoli, well most vegetables really, but he behaves if you give him his stuffed puppy,” Jongin rambles, fumbling to make sure he’s got his keys and wallet. “And if he’s fussy or he wants a nap just switch on his nightlight. He really likes the ceiling stars.”

 

 

“So uh, just call me on the number I gave you immediately if anything happens,” he says finally, turning to find Chanyeol nodding in understanding, though there’s a hint of amusement in his eyes. He pushes Jongin’s bag into his hands before he forgets it.

 

 

“First aid’s in the bathroom, snack time’s at five, nuts are off limits and keep TV time to a minimum,” Chanyeol recites everything back at Jongin, giving him a reassuring smile. “Trust me, I’ll take good care of him. You’re going to be late.”

 

 

Sighing, Jongin takes one last look at Taeoh, already clutching his stuffed puppy protectively. He looks curious rather than too upset, as Jongin had feared.

 

 

He leaves the house praying that he’s not making a mistake.

 

 

 

 

 

Jongin still makes a mad dash for his car when he finally leaves the office, speeding all the way home and leaping up to the front door. He bursts through the door breathlessly, finding a startled Chanyeol sitting with Taeoh on the living room floor.

 

 

He laughs at himself later, sighing in the shower as he scrubs the soap into his skin tiredly. Even Taeoh has never had this much separation anxiety before. It’s almost as exhausting as the ever growing pile of work back at the office.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

☼

 

 

 

 

 

 

He gets held up longer at work today again, casting anxious glances at his watch after every person who comes in with a fresh stack of documents for him to look through.

 

 

One of his afternoon conferences gets postponed after the investor's flight got cancelled, pushing the appointment back a few hours until it's verging onto 9pm and Jongin is still in the office. He taps his foot on the carpeted floor impatiently, trying to focus on the contract pack in his hand and resists the urge to just toss it aside and leave. The deadline is coming up the next day and they need enough time to finalize all the terms before jumping into anything rashly.

 

 

He spots the cup of coffee Seulgi had brought in for him earlier, having completely forgotten about it, buried as he was in paperwork. Taking a sip, his nose wrinkles at the taste and decides against taking another swig. A loud grumble from his stomach catches his attention and it hits him that he hasn't eaten all day. The hunger and exhaustion wrings through his entire body, building into a splitting headache throbbing in his temples.

 

 

When he finally gets through the last page of the bunch, he can barely see straight through the exhaustion swimming in from of his eyes. Getting to his feet, he gathers his things quickly before someone else can send him more material to go through and leaves the office.

 

 

All his energy feels sapped right out of his body. He half considers calling a cab instead of driving his car home but decides driving himself is probably faster.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

☼

 

 

 

 

 

 

He drags himself up the stairs and staggers off balance through the door, feeling so tired he could sleep right there on the doorstep.

 

 

"Woah, woah easy!" Chanyeol’s voice comes up right next to him as he catches Jongin by the shoulders just before he keels over on the floor. He takes the bag from Jongin's hand and guides him to the kitchen, helping him over to one of the chairs around the table. Jongin lets himself be guided without protest, too tired to bother resisting.

 

 

"Are you okay?"

 

 

Chanyeol drops down onto a chair beside him, looking at him in concern.

 

 

Leaning back against the chair with his head on the wooden rest of the seat, Jongin exhales slowly, breathing through the headache.

 

 

"Sorry, I'm a bit later than usual," he apologizes, frowning up at the clock hanging on the wall. "Is Taeoh...?"

 

 

"He's already asleep," Chanyeol tells him, sounding almost apologetic himself. Jongin's shoulders slump at that, feeling a stab of disappointment in his chest that he didn't get home in time to greet his son.

 

 

Chanyeol gives him the usual rundown of the day, updating him on Taeoh's appetite and all their activities.

 

 

Jongin smiles wistfully at the stories, wishing he could be there to see it himself. He works on shrugging off his jacket, and undoes the heavy watch from around his wrist. It takes him a moment to register that Chanyeol is still there, tinkering around by the stove.

 

 

"What are you-?"

 

 

"I'm just warming up some leftovers from earlier. You must be hungry."

 

 

Jongin's stomach grumbles as if on cue and Chanyeol laughs pointedly.

 

 

“Here,” he says, setting down a steaming plate in front of him .”Eat up!”

 

 

Jongin can already feel some life coming back to him at the delicious smell wafting from the food.

 

 

“You really don’t have to do this,” Jongin murmurs guiltily, glancing up at the clock again. He’s kept him way beyond his time.

 

 

“It’s fine seriously, I don’t mind,” Chanyeol grins, leaning back against the counter., “You should really eat something, you look half dead. I promise my cooking is great. Taeoh certified.”

 

 

He puffs out his chest proudly and Jongin chuckles a little, despite the flush rising along his neck at the comment. The extra workload is really starting to take its toll on him.

 

 

Pick up his spoon, he shovels a mouth of rice into his mouth, following it with a chunk of meat.

 

 

“This is really good,” he blinks, ravenously shoveling in another forkful. Chanyeol beams, pleased.

 

 

“Well, I’ll get out of your hair now,” he tells Jongin, already on the move before Jongin can swallow in time to protest. “I’ll see you and Taeoh tomorrow. Have a good night!”

 

 

He waves and steps out of the door in seconds. Jongin tastes the guilt heavy on his tongue.

 

 

Finishing off his food, he leaves the plate in the sink to deal with later. He’s dead tired but he heads for Taeoh’s room, slipping in quietly and watches his slow breathing. Jongin tugs the blanket up higher where it’s shrugged off Taeoh’s shoulder and smooths out the creases gently. He stays to look at Taeoh’s peaceful sleeping face a while longer before leaving.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

☼

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jongin asks Chanyeol to stay over for dinner a week later, winning him over with the smell of chicken cooking. It’s one of those rare days where he’s managed to get off work in time to actually cook for Taeoh before he’s gone to bed.

 

 

“It’s the least I can do to thank you,” Jongin tells him earnestly, ushering him to the dining table. Chanyeol is staying much later than anticipated, though he’s being paid handsomely for it, Chanyeol reminds him. Still; Jongin feels bad enough to need to do something about it. The company is nice anyway. It’s refreshing to have an easy conversation with an adult that isn’t about work or nose boogers sometimes.

 

 

Taeoh is delighted to have him stay to eat with them, so it works out well in Jongin’s book. Chanyeol doesn’t protest, his face lighting up with a smile at the invitation.

 

 

After dinner, Jongin tucks Taeoh into bed, laughing at his droopy eyes and garbled complaints about wanting to play a little longer. Flicking on the night light, he presses a soft kiss to Taeoh’s brow and pads out of the room silently.

 

 

Chanyeol is over by the bookcase in the living room, scanning the spines of all of Jongin’s books neatly stacked.

 

 

“You know I was looking at these earlier,” Chanyeol comments, turning to Jongin when he slumps down tiredly on the couch. “You like your science fiction, huh?”

 

 

“Only the best,” Jongin grins proudly, pulling his knees up on the couch cushion. “Have you read them?”

 

 

“Nah,” Chanyeol shrugs, turning away from the shelves. “This guy’s writing never really drew me in, I guess.”

 

 

“What are you talking about, Bernard Werber is a genius,” Jongin says incredulously, gawking up at Chanyeol as he settles on the couch beside him.

 

 

“Depends what your standard is,” Chanyeol shoots back, challenging him. It’s enough to spark Jongin’s defensive streak, always ready for a heated discussion over the quality of books.

 

 

“How about you then, huh?” Jongin asks curiously after a while. “What’s your writing like?”

 

 

“I’ll have you know that the Times thinks it’s ‘witty and exhilarating’,” he puffs out his chest playfully before deflating with a sigh. “It’s been pretty dry since I’ve been stuck in this rut though.”

 

 

Jongin hums sympathetically.

 

 

“Well, you’re free to use go through my tracklist on my ipod,” he offers, patting Chanyeol’s shoulder. “I hear a change of music can help sometimes.”

 

 

Chanyeol looks up and flashes him a wide smile which Jongin returns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

☼

 

 

 

 

 

 

The conference has been droning on for well over an hour now and Jongin tries his best to stay focused. It’s hard to concentrate on statistics and profit percentage reports when there’s so many of them left to go.

 

 

He jolts out of his stupor when he feels his phone vibrate suddenly in his pants pocket. Reaching to pull it out, he unlocks the screen and his face breaks into a sudden grin that stretches across his lips.

 

 

The notification that pops out on his screen is from Chanyeol; it’s a picture of him and Taeoh raising their fists at the camera.

 

 

“Appa, fighting!!”

 

 

Another picture pops up after that seconds later, showing Taeoh making the shape of a heart over his head with his arms, grinning so widely his eyes are scrunched up into crescents.

 

 

“Your little champ to keep you going!” Chanyeol adds below the picture.

 

 

Another picture comes in, a selca of Chanyeol himself this time, doing the v sign with his fingers over his eye.

 

 

“Have a good day at work!”

 

 

Jongin hides his smile behind his hand, staring at his screen under the table discreetly and trying not to laugh.

 

 

Tucking his phone away he turns his focus back to the meeting with renewed focus and energy.

 

 

When the conference is finally over, Jongin stays behind until everyone clears out, urging everyone to go ahead, thanking them for their hard work. The room empties out in minutes and Jongin looks around to make sure no one’s peeking through the windows before pulling his phone out of his pocket again.

 

 

Raising it up high, he aims the camera at himself and pouts at the screen, pressing the tip of his pointer finger into his cheek. He snaps a couple of shots, alternating between the V sign over his eyes and puffing his cheeks out.

 

 

“Uh, sir?”

 

 

Jongin startles and promptly drops his phone on his face, nearly slipping off his seat at the sound of Seulgi’s voice.

 

 

“Wha– , yes. Yes?” he straightens up immediately, burning with embarrassment as Seulgi struggles not to grin.

 

 

“There’s a call for you in the office,” she says, coughing into her hand in a poor attempt stifle her laugh.

 

 

“Right. Yes. I’ll be right there,” Jongin manages, tugging at the collar of his shirt where his neck is completely flushed.

 

 

He nods as he marches past her, hurrying towards his office and closing the door behind him quickly. Leaning back against it he sighs and groans at the thought of how much Seulgi might have seen.

 

 

The light from the phone on his desk catches his eye and he remembers the call waiting for him, rushing over to take it.

 

 

It doesn’t take more than five minutes, and Jongin slots the phone back in it’s place before dropping down onto his chair with a sigh.

 

 

He stares at his own phone again, flipping through the pictures slowly, taking in every detail. On a whim, he sets the picture of Taeoh and Chanyeol’s fighting! as his background.

 

 

Smiling, he sets his phone down and turns back to his computer where there’s already another ten new emails waiting for him. He glances over to the side where there’s a new copy of one of Chanyeol’s books sitting by his coffee mug. Getting to work on the emails, he types quickly, eager to finish off this load of work before the next one comes in so he can get started on the book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

☼

 

 

 

 

 

 

The workload keeps getting heavier until staying in the office past 9pm becomes a regular occurrence. Today is a particularly gruelling day, after an entire folder of documents inadvertently got lost and deleted off the system. They’d had to put in even more hours to replace everything.

 

 

The dashboard clock reads 11pm when Jongin finally pulls up in his driveway, barely able to see past the heavy rain pouring outside. He’s almost completely soaked by the time he sprints up the front steps and works the door open.

 

 

The lights are on inside, and Jongin’s eyes immediately zone in on Chanyeol dozing off on the couch. He feels the familiar pang of guilt in his chest at keeping him here so late when he keeps saying he’ll try to be home earlier.

 

 

Shrugging off his wet jacket, he toes off his shoes and tugs his tie loose as he pads over to the couch.

 

 

“Chanyeol?” he calls softly, laying a hand on his shoulder. “Hey.”

 

 

Chanyeol’s nose wrinkles, snuffling a little before he finally cracks his eyes open.

 

 

“Oh, you’re back,” he smiles up at Jongin sleepily, his eyes drooping endearingly. Jongin would laugh if his chest didn’t feel so heavy.

 

 

Chanyeol straightens up, running a hand through his hair and shakes himself awake. “You’re all soaked.”

 

 

“Yeah, the weather’s pretty nasty outside,” Jongin sighs, slumping down on the couch beside him. “Chanyeol, I’m sorry.”

 

 

“It’s fine, it’s not like the weather’s your fault,” Chanyeol chuckles, stretching his arms up over his head.

 

 

“No, that’s not– I’m sorry about this,” he waves his arm around between them for emphasis. “I keep saying I’m coming home early but...things keep coming up. I know this isn’t what you signed up for.”

 

 

Part of the apology feels like it’s meant for Taeoh, and the thought hits him low in his gut. Chanyeol seems to realize what he's thinking because his eyes soften.

 

 

Then he leans back against the couch, dropping his head back to look up at the ceiling and chuckles.

 

 

"What?" Jongin blinks, glancing up at the ceiling uncertainly.

 

 

"Guess it’s in your nature to keep worrying about that, huh?" Chanyeol muses, still looking up.

 

 

Jongin sighs, slumping back beside him and tilts his head up to join Chanyeol in ceiling-gazing.

 

 

"Can't really help it, I guess," he mumbles, thinking about all the ways he's managed to screw up in less than a month. "It's not like I don't have a hand in this."

 

 

He sounds more miserable than he'd intended, but he's too tired to sugar coat anything. It doesn't feel uncomfortable with Chanyeol anyway.

 

 

"You need to stop stressing yourself out," Chanyeol says, patting Jongin's knee sagely. He turns his head away from the ceiling to look at Jongin. Their faces are close enough that Jongin can see the way Chanyeol's long eyelashes brush against his cheek when he blinks.

 

 

"Taeoh’s fine," he goes on, his voice growing gentler but more serious. "He misses you but he’s fine. This is only temporary anyway."

 

 

Jongin stares at him wordlessly, feeling a little choked up though he swallows it down quickly.

 

 

"I already know you’re doing the best you can, so stop worrying about me."

 

 

Jongin hadn't realized Chanyeol's hand was still on his knee until he pulls it away, taking his warmth with it. Instead he forms a V sign with his fingers and brings it over an eye with a grin.

 

 

"I’ve got this, chief!"

 

 

Jongin bursts out laughing at the sudden gesture, whacking his hand away for being so corny. He's grateful for it though, feeling a little less guilt ridden even if only for tonight.

 

 

"Anyway, I should probably get going then," Chanyeol says, heaving himself up from the couch with a groan.

 

 

"Wait, hang on!" Jongin exclaims, pitching forward to grab his wrist to stop him in his tracks. Flushing, he retracts his hand a split second later, trying to find his words.

 

 

"Stay here for tonight," he offers, getting to his feet too. "It's late and it's really not the best weather to be driving in."

 

 

He cuts in quickly when Chanyeol opens his mouth to protest.

 

 

"I've kept you this late, at least let me do this for you. Please; I insist."

 

 

Chanyeol snorts, dropping a hand on Jongin's shoulder. "Worry wart."

 

 

"Smartmouth," Jongin shoots back, smacking his hand away with a laugh. "C'mon, lemme show you the spare room."

 

 

"Hey, hey, is this how you treat your hyung?" Chanyeol grumbles when Jongin jabs his fingers into his back to steer him away from the front door and deeper into the house.

 

 

"Would you prefer the couch, hyung?" Jongin grins at the way Chanyeol almost swoons at the sight of the queen bed prepped neatly with a puffy duvet.

 

 

Chanyeol turns to him, raking a thoughtful eye over his wet clothes.

 

 

"You should really change out of those before you catch a cold," he says matter-of-factly.

 

 

Jongin smacks his hand against Chanyeol's chest, narrowing his eyes at him before heading for the dresser to find some spare clothes to sleep in.

 

 

"Thought I hired you to babysit my son not me."

 

 

Chanyeol laughs, reaching out to ruffle Jongin's hair as he walks past him, to check out the small bathroom. Jongin thinks he hears him say 'cute' under his breath but he can't be sure, choosing to hide his flushed cheeks instead.

 

 

"Here," he says, handing Chanyeol a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt he thinks might fit him.

 

 

"Thanks," Chanyeol takes them gratefully. He has a strange look in his eyes. "For all this too. Thank you."

 

 

“Tch,” Jongin clicks his tongue quietly as he makes his way out of the room. “I’m thanking you.”

 

 

He leaves Chanyeol to it, making his way to Taeoh’s room before heading back to his own bedroom. He’s asleep, of course, but seeing his face with his own eyes for five minutes rather than through a phone picture helps him sleep better.

 

 

Despite that, it takes a long time for Jongin to actually fall asleep, even with how exhausted he was earlier. His heart is pounding like he’s just run a marathon before slipping between his sheets. The knowledge that Chanyeol is sleeping only two rooms away keeps niggling at him, and his stomach swoops.

 

 

The guilt seeps in again eventually. How can he let himself wonder about the way his chest tightens when he’s barely given himself time to be there for his own son? Taeoh comes first. He’ll always come first. Jongin stoutly ignores the voice in the back of his mind wondering if there’s space for more.

 

 

“What am I doing,” he groans, burying his face in his pillow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

☼

 

 

 

 

 

 

His fountain pen scratches across the documents he’s signing quickly before he can hand them off to Seulgi, waiting quietly a polite distance away from the table.

 

 

“So, is it a boy or a girl?”

 

 

Jongin blinks. “I’m sorry, what?”

 

 

Seulgi’s smiling, linking her hands behind her back.

 

 

“Your kid.”

 

 

Jongin balks, setting the pen down and gawping at her in surprise. “I– boy. How did you know?”

 

 

He’s almost certain barely anyone knows about Taeoh. It’s not that he’s ashamed by any means, lord knows he’s been bursting to gush about him since the day he was born. It’s just one of the downsides of being the CEO, he supposes. He’s seen enough of the corporate world’s dirty tricks to decide he’d rather keep his son out of any business disputes. Taeoh remains the one place in his life that is untouched by corporate’s fingers, his safe haven.

 

 

Besides; it’s only been less than a year since he was promoted. He’s gained the respect of his staff rather quickly and solidly, getting along with everyone easily. Still, he’d rather keep that line between his professional and personal life until he knows he can fully trust them with it if need be.

 

 

No one ever really comes into his office when he’s not in it, except maybe the cleaner. There’s no way anyone could have even seen the picture of Taeoh on his computer background.

 

 

Seulgi came to work for him a month after his promotion, the most diligent candidate of the bunch that came to the interviews. They’ve got a good relationship, clicking straight away; Jongin finds her more dependable and trustworthy than almost anyone else in the firm on a work level.

 

 

“Mother’s intuition, I guess,” Seulgi grins, laughing when his eyes bug out.

 

 

“Wha– you– I had no idea?” Jongin splutters, pushing his chair away from the table. “How many?”

 

 

“Twins!” Seulgi says cheerfully, pulling up the pictures on her phone to show him. Leaning over his table, Jongin coos at the little girls beaming up at the camera, feeling the smile on his face stretch wider after every snapshot Seulgi flips past.

 

 

“They’re adorable,” Jongin smiles, leaning back into his chair, stunned. “I can’t believe I didn’t realize it sooner.”

 

 

“Ditto,” Seulgi says. “I mean had my suspicions, but it’s the phone selcas that really backed them up.”

 

 

Jongin groans at the memory, still embarrassed, though decidedly less now in light of all this.

 

 

“I don’t get it,” he muses, running his fingers through his hair in thought. “You’ve never asked for any extra leave or anything.”

 

 

“That’s because I have a great boss who already gives me decent hours as it is,” Seulgi beams at him, reaching out to collect the stack of documents from his table.

 

 

“You could probably afford to take a leaf out of your own book, you know” she adds slowly, inclining her head respectfully, like she’s afraid she might have overstepped. She must know he stays late in the office despite leaving earlier than he does.

 

 

She’s right in any case; or rather Jongin wishes he could follow through with that. There’s just too much to do here. He wants to get it done as soon as he can without dragging it out for too long. If it means staying through the night then, he supposes, so be it.

 

 

Seulgi seems to realize what he’s brooding about because she thankfully changes the subject.

 

 

“What’s his name?”

 

 

“Taeoh,” Jongin beams, pulling out his own phone to scroll through the hundreds of pictures of him in the album and shows her proudly. “He’s growing so fast.”

 

 

Seulgi smiles adoringly at the pictures he shows her, laughing at the shots of them in their matching Pororo costumes for Halloween. The shrill sound of the phone ringing from Seulgi’s desk outside cuts their cooing short, and she excuses herself with a smile.

 

 

Jongin turns back to his laptop, minimizing all the open windows after a thought. He stares at Taeoh’s smile, beaming up at him from his desktop and exhales loudly. He really is growing up fast; Jongin’s just afraid he’ll miss it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

☼

 

 

 

 

 

 

With Jaebum on sick leave and Soojung leaving for the branch in Japan to manage their business from there, there’s a lot of work piling on to what they already have. Jongin doesn’t call in an extension of time to the board though. He can handle this by himself, no need to make it drag out any longer. There’s almost three days’ worth of work sitting on his desk but he’s determined to cram it all in today. He looks at the picture of Taeoh before diving into the documents.

 

 

He calls Joohyun in to help him with some of the numbers, running the finance details by the accounts department, but he’s left undisturbed to his own devices for most of the day except for when Seulgi diverts calls to his office and brings him cups of coffee every now and then, a concerned furrow dipping between her brows.

 

 

When Jongin turns to crack a window open, it’s already completely dark outside. The office is too stuffy, it feels like he can’t inhale enough air to get rid of the suffocating heaviness in his chest. There’s the last batch of folders and documents for the day scattered all over his table, crammed with numbers and fineprint that he’s been poring over all day.

 

 

Kneading his temples, Jongin swallows dryly, wincing at the sudden pain in his throat. His head feels like lead, the beginnings of a burgeoning headache pounding against his skull.

 

 

The words on the paper start to blur into each other the longer he stares at them, barely even able to sort one thought from another. All he can think about is how terribly he misses Taeoh, an ache that settles heavily in every bone of his body.

 

 

He doesn’t even remember leaving the office, or driving himself home for that matter. It’s all a murky blur until his own front door shows up in front of him and he fumbles with the doorknob, suddenly frantic to get inside. His migraine is in full swing by now, dizzying enough that he’s forced to lean heavily against the door. He struggles to fit the key in with his eyes closed, praying for the throbbing to stop.

 

 

The first thing Jongin sees when he finally manages to work it open is Chanyeol coming to greet him. He stumbles a little over the threshold and Chanyeol’s face falls.

 

 

“Are you okay? You’re all flushed.”

 

 

He reaches out to press the back of his hand to Jongin’s forehead, making a noise in the back of his throat.

 

 

“You’re burning up. C’mon, you should lie down.”

 

 

“Wait I– ” Jongin whirls around in search, biting back a whimper when everything spins painfully. “I wanted to see Taeoh first.”

 

 

Chanyeol holds an arm out to steady him when his knees look like they might buckle.

 

 

“Jongin I already put him to sleep,” he says gently. “It’s almost midnight.”

 

 

“What?” Jongin turns to look at him, feeling disoriented when he looks at the time and realizes he’s lost hours without even noticing. He slumps, feeling an ache in his chest and the prickle of tears in the corners of his eyes, only partly because of the splitting headache. He hates himself for missing Taeoh again.

 

 

“Dammit,” he whispers. The sudden wave of nausea that comes over him has him pressing his knuckles into his chest, wondering if he’s going to throw up right there.

 

 

“C’mon,” Chanyeol coaxes him towards his bedroom with a cool palm against the back of his neck. Once he’s helped him out of his stifling clothes, Jongin slumps down on the bed, feeling every bone rattling in his body.

 

 

Chanyeol murmurs something that Jongin can barely hear through the pounding in his head, before turning to leave the room.

 

 

“Wait. Stay,” he blurts out, reaching out blindly to cling to Chanyeol’s sleeve. “Please?”

 

 

He doesn’t really know what he’s saying. It’s the fever. Or maybe it’s because it’s just been him and his son for such a long time and now...now Chanyeol is there, warm and soothing and Jongin desperately wants him to stay beside him. The fever throbbing behind his eyeballs is clouding his judgement, and he’s too drained to tether in everything he’s feeling pent up in his chest. He just wants Chanyeol to stay with him, even if just for tonight; someone to be there for him this time. Maybe he just wants it to be Chanyeol.

 

 

He can’t tell if he imagines the lips brushing against his knuckles, gone as quick as he’d felt them, before his hand is lowered gently by his side again. His heart sinks when Chanyeol leaves the room anyway.

 

 

Jongin loses track of everything as he drifts in and out, surfacing from the blackness to the hammering in his head. He comes to again to the feeling of something cool and wet on his forehead. Jongin forces his eyes open just as the mattress dips under Chanyeol’s weight, smoothing the damp facecloth on Jongin’s head to cool him down.

 

 

Jongin doesn’t remember much else past the chills and the ache in his bones through the night.

 

 

His eyes flutter open again hours later at the sound of a door opening. He squints through the strip of sunlight filtering through the narrow slit in his curtains. Someone’s murmuring in his ear– Chanyeol.

 

 

“I’m taking Taeoh to school,” he says quietly, and the weight of the facecloth on Jongin’s forehead disappears. He can feel the touch of cool, soothing fingers brushing his hair aside before a fresh towel is folded back on his skin. Jongin is out again after that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Jongin wakes up properly, his head feels heavy, like it’s twice its usual size. The faint sound of running water and metal clacking are muffled through the door. He’s still dizzy from the headache but manages to sit up with a groan, stilling until the painful spinning stops before slipping onto his feet shakily. The morning chill sends a shiver up his spine and he folds his arms against his chest stiffly. His muscles ache and his joints hurt but he shuffles out towards the kitchen where the smell of food is wafting from.

 

 

Jongin squints at the harsh brightness of the sun streaming in through the windows when he walks into the kitchen, sliding a hand along the walls to keep his balance. He finds Chanyeol standing by the stove, stirring something in a pot.

 

 

“Chanyeol?” he croaks out hoarsely, wincing at the scratchiness of his voice.

 

 

Chanyeol whirls around, expression drawn in concern.

 

 

“What are you doing on your feet? You should be in bed– woah!” he dashes forward, slipping an arm around Jongin’s waist to hold him steady when he starts to sway dizzily. Standing up feels more draining than Jongin had expected.

 

 

“You actually stayed,” he murmurs, caught between awe and disbelief. He lets Chanyeol guide him to the table by the elbow and drops down heavily into a chair, groaning at the headache that the jolt sparks again.

 

 

“Hmm?” Chanyeol asks confused, having missed Jongin’s words.

 

 

Flushing, Jongin averts his eyes and catches the time on the wall clock, well past nine in the morning. He grips the edge of the table in panic but Chanyeol holds him down by the shoulder and Jongin deflates against the chair, spent.

 

 

“I already took Taeoh to school,” Chanyeol reminds him. So that wasn’t just a dream then. “And I called your secretary to tell her you can’t make it today. She said she’ll hold down the fort.”

 

 

Jongin nods gratefully, though he stops immediately when the movement rattles his skull.

 

 

“God i feel like .”

 

 

“That why you should eat this,” Chanyeol grins as he sets a plate of chicken soup in front of him before moving to clear off the pots and plates he’d used.

 

 

Jongin can feel his appetite starting to come back with how good it smells, but he stares down at the steaming dish guiltily. There’s a couple of pills sitting beside his glass of water too. Chanyeol came back even though it’s not his job to. Somewhere in the back of his mind he remembers asking Chanyeol to stay with him, even though he didn’t have to.

 

 

“Don’t apologize,” Chanyeol’s voice startles him out of his thoughts, catching on to what he’s mulling over. “I’m here because I want to be.”

 

 

He says it so softly that Jongin nearly misses the last bit, noticing the flush dusting across his cheeks. Something swoops in his stomach and he swallows past what feels like his entire heart in his throat.

 

 

“Did you just use Jun’s line on me?” he remarks instead, suddenly remembering part of a dialogue in the chapter he’s been reading in the office.

 

 

Chanyeol’s elbow slips off the counter he’s leaning on in surprise. “You read my book?”

 

 

He pulls a chair out for himself beside Jongin, looking absolutely delighted.

 

 

“Still got two chapters to go actually,” Jongin says, picking up his spoon and and dipping it into the soup.

 

 

Resting his chin on his steepled hands, Chanyeol grins at him intently. He pelts Jongin with questions about what he thinks of the book, looking so excited that Jongin can’t help but indulge him with everything he asks. Turns out he’s writing again, finally managing to break through the block. Jongin drinks up his soup quickly, suddenly ravenous as he chews on the soft chicken bits.

 

 

“Your writing,” he says in between munches. “It’s really good. You’ve got a really great style.”

 

 

“Better than Werber?” Chanyeol grins.

 

 

“Don’t push it,” Jongin dabs at the corner of his mouth with a napkin, pushing his empty plate away. “God, that was delicious.”

 

 

“Do you feel any better?” Chanyeol ask as Jongin wobbles his way to dump the plate in the sink.

 

 

“Still pretty woozy and everything aches but I feel a lot less dead than yesterday,” Jongin says, shivering in regret at walking barefoot on the cold tiles. “Thank you, Chanyeol. For...all of this.”

 

 

“It’s a good thing I’m great at my job, then” he grins, puffing out his chest smugly.

 

 

“Hey, I’m no toddler,” snipes at him, yanking at one of Chanyeol’s earlobes gently in reprimand.

 

 

“You sure?” Jongin doesn't like the glint in Chanyeol’s eye but he’s too slow to escape the sudden arm that shoots around his waist. He’s pulled back and topples over into Chanyeol’s lap while Chanyeol baby talks him, patting his back like he’s trying to burp him. Flailing, Jongin manages to escape, shoving him grumpily even though he can’t help but mirror Chanyeol’s smile.

 

 

 

 

 

Chanyeol goes to pick Taeoh up from school later and Jongin is ecstatic about finally getting to spend a rare full day during the week with him. He’s careful to keep a safe distance though, just in case. It feels like a whole mountain has been lifted off his chest when Taeoh looks absolutely delighted to see him home.

 

 

Chanyeol still stays even though he doesn't have to; Jongin’s gained enough strength to manage by himself now. Still he makes no move to leave just yet and Jongin doesn't say a word, happy to have his company.

 

 

When he goes to bed that night he gets a flash of warm lips on his hand and wonders if he really just imagined the whole thing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

☼

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jongin invites Chanyeol over for lunch the next weekend. Taeoh adores him by now so it works out perfectly. Jongin brings the barbeque grill out into the garden and sets up a table in the shade for the three of them. He works on grilling the meat while Chanyeol brings out the side dishes from the fridge and tucks a napkin onto the front of Taeoh’s shirt. It feels so domestic that Jongin has to shake himself back to focus before he burns the meat.

 

 

Taeoh takes a nap after lunch and they put in a movie to watch by themselves. Still, they barely focus on the movie, breaking off to comment and laugh about every detail on the screen before derailing off topic into their own stories.

 

 

Jongin wanted to think of this as just treating him in thanks for everything, but he ends up inviting him over again and again until they’re somehow at a wordless consensus to get together every weekend, whenever they can manage it.

 

 

Sometimes they go out for a picnic on the few and rare sunny autumn days that come around. Chanyeol insists on preparing all the food himself, wanting to treat them himself this time. Jongin can’t even find it in him to protest when his cooking tastes so amazing.

 

 

He sits back for a moment, watching Chanyeol and Taeoh chase after the football they brought with them to the park today. A bubble of fondness swells up in his chest and he scrambles to his feet, dashing to go join them.

 

 

He takes a flying leap onto Chanyeol’s back, making him stagger and lose the ball. Chanyeol catches on easily, roaring and falling dramatically to his knees on the grass.

 

 

“Run Taeoh! Save the ball from the dragon!” Jongin cries as Chanyeol starts flapping his arms around, making growly noises. Taeoh screams and takes the ball up into his arms, holding it close to his chest as he runs away. Sliding off Chanyeol’s back, Jongin chases after him, and hoists him up onto his shoulders to run faster.

 

 

By the time they pack up and leave, Taeoh’s fast asleep in the back seat, completely tired out from their games. It’s going to be hard to wake him up for his bath, Jongin muses when they arrive, carrying him into the house. He sets him down on the couch gently, before turning back to Chanyeol where he’s setting the food basket and cooler down on the floor.

 

 

“Well that was fun,” he smiles, instinctively reaching out to curl his fingers loosely around Chanyeol’s elbow.

 

 

“Bet I’m going to feel this all in the morning,” Chanyeol jokes, snorting when Jongin looks a little apologetic.

 

 

He walks Chanyeol to the door, pulling the door open slowly.

 

 

“I’ll see you on Monday then,” Chanyeol says, stepping closer into his space despite his tone of goodbye. Jongin reaches out for him just as Chanyeol pulls him in to hold him close. The suddenness startles him, but he’s more surprised at how seamlessly they fell into this. He’s more reluctant to let go than he’d expected.

 

 

Chanyeol finally pulls away and Jongin just catches the burning red tips of his ears before he leaves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

☼

 

 

 

 

 

 

“That watch looks vintage. Pretty cool.”

 

 

Chanyeol passes the comment as they settle down on the couch after dinner once Jongin has put Taeoh to sleep.

 

 

“What, this?” Jongin looks down at his wrist, eyeing the brass frame. “Used to be my dad’s. It’s the only thing I ever got from him,” he adds with a dry laugh.

 

 

“Not quite dad of the year then, huh,” Chanyeol leans forward to set his mug of tea on the coffee table. His eyes are serious when he looks at Jongin again, his expression open and earnest.

 

 

Jongin swallows. “He wasn’t awful to me, he was just...never there.”

 

 

Sighing, he swirls the tea around in his mug, watching the dregs move at the bottom. Chanyeol is quiet beside him.

 

 

“Honestly I saw his post-it notes more than I saw him. He’d leave some money for me, telling me to buy myself lunch and some candy for later. Too busy to make time for me.”

 

 

“Where is he now?” Chanyeol asks softly, his voice dropping down to almost a murmur.

 

 

“He passed away when I was in college; liver failure.” Jongin puts his mug down without taking a sip, suddenly losing his appetite for it.

 

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

 

“It’s alright,” Jongin shakes his head. “Honestly I couldn’t figure out if I missed him or hated him more back then.”

 

 

There’s a heavy silence that hangs between them for a moment before Chanyeol breaks it.

 

 

“For what it’s worth, I think you’re an amazing dad.”

 

 

He rubs a hand along Jongin’s shoulder, lingering when their eyes lock almost a beat too long before pulling it away.

 

 

“It’s worth everything,” Jongin says tightly, feeling that familiar heavy ache in his chest. “That’s why I’m trying to get through this project as quickly as I can. I don’t think I could take it if Taeoh hated me for not being around.”

 

 

Chanyeol reaches out again to hold his hand and squeezes, and Jongin looks up at him with a soft, grateful smile

 

 

“You’re pretty damn amazing, you know that? Chanyeol murmurs, looking thoughtful.

 

 

Jongin flushes, lowering his eyes to his knees. “So you keep saying. Tch; buttering me up.”

 

 

“I mean it though!” Chanyeol insists. Something changes in his voice that makes Jongin look up again. “It’s not just that you’re a great dad, it’s...it’s more.”

 

 

There’s no sign of the usual teasing lilt in his tone or the sparkle of humour in his eyes this time. Just that sincere edge in his voice. It suddenly hits Jongin how close they’ve gotten on the couch without even realizing, leaning in so close he can smell the faint scent of Chanyeol’s cologne. The tip of Chanyeol’s nose is just inches away from his own and Jongin’s heart leaps into his throat.

 

 

“More?” he whispers, distracted by the way Chanyeol his lips before darting his eyes back up quickly. Chanyeol’s pupils are blown. He dips in another fraction, so close that Jongin can feel the puffs of his breath against his face. There’s only a hair’s breadth between them and Jongin’s eyelashes flutter, nearly able to feel Chanyeol’s warmth.

 

 

His eyes slam back open at the sudden shrill ringing of the phone, ripping himself away. Chanyeol startles backwards, looking just as flustered as he runs a hand through his hair.

 

 

“I– ,” Jongin stares between the phone on the mantelpiece and Chanyeol, feeling like his chest is about to collapse. Nodding at the phone, Chanyeol smiles softly and pushes himself up on his feet.

 

 

“I’ll see myself out,” he says, brushing Jongin’s shoulder with his knuckles. “Goodnight, Jongin.”

 

 

He leaves before Jongin can find his voice, sitting frozen on the couch even after the front door has clicked shut. The phone snaps him out of his daze and he dashes to pick it up before the noise wakes Taeoh.

 

 

“Hello?” he wheezes into the phone.

 

 

“Jongin? Are you okay?” Jongdae’s voice comes from the other end of the line.

 

 

“Yeah,” Jongin swallows, sinking down to the floor when his shaky knees give out. He presses a his palm against his painfully racing heart. “I’m fine.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

☼

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jongin walks into the office after his lunch break to the news that they’ve finally closed all the clients they needed; they’ve already sent their paperwork over to be checked and filed. Seulgi smacks the last document on his desk for him to sign with a triumphant grin.

 

 

“That’s the last of it,” she chuckles when Jongin melts against his seat in relief. “We’re finally done!”

 

 

 

 

 

It hits him when he’s driving home later, at a decent hour at last, that there’s no need for Chanyeol to keep coming around anymore. He pulls up in his driveway much earlier than usual but he sits in the car with his hands on the wheel a while longer, feeling a little numb.

 

 

Eventually, he gets around to telling him after dinner. Chanyeol’s smile slips before his mouth stretches wide again, looking too forced to be genuine.

 

 

“The day’s finally here, huh,” he chuckles, looking anywhere but at Jongin. “It’s great that you’re finally done with the extra work.”

 

 

He still comes over the next day, at Jongin’s request, to say goodbye to Taeoh properly. Jongin had pulled Taeoh into his lap the night before, trying to break it to him gently that Chanyeol wouldn’t be coming around every day anymore. Broke his heart a little to see the way Taeoh frowned up at him sadly, mumbling a quiet ‘okay’.

 

 

Chanyeol promises to keep in touch, which seems to appease him enough for now, though Jongin’s sure he’ll really feel it in a couple of days.

 

 

As promised, Chanyeol comes by the next day, playing a couple of games with Taeoh before hugging him goodbye.

 

 

He has to dart around the house before he leaves, collecting a few of his own things that he’s left scattered around the place. Jongin hadn’t even realized how well Chanyeol had fit into his house, never noticing anything out of place, like Chanyeol’s things were meant to be there all along.

 

 

“Well. I think that’s the last of it,” Chanyeol says finally, lugging the backpack with his things over his shoulder and makes for the door. “I guess this is it then.”

 

 

He holds onto the doorframe a beat longer, before letting his hand slip away, looking up with a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

 

 

“Yeah. I guess it is,” Jongin says tersely, finding it hard to swallow through the sudden tightness in his throat. He wants to say something, anything but it gets stuck and dies in his throat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

☼

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jongin finally takes a rare day off halfway through the week, donning an oversized woollen cardigan instead of his usual crisp suit. He takes Taeoh to school, able to see him all the way in this time without having to rush off. Kyungsoo is there on gate duty today, waving at him when he sees him.

 

 

“So,” Kyungsoo says shortly, sending Taeoh off to class with the other kids. He moves to stand next to Jongin by the wall of the gate, out of the way from the influx of children arriving for school.

 

 

“So…” Jongin repeats uncertainly, scuffing the tip of his shoe in the dirt. He can’t hide anything from Kyungsoo. He’s known about Jongin’s thing for Chanyeol since the time he joined them for lunch a couple of weeks ago; said the way Jongin looked at him was a dead giveaway.

 

 

“Your big project’s all done now, huh?” he muses pointedly. “Got any plans?”

 

 

It’s no use pretending not to know what he means, there’s no dodging this one.

 

 

“I need to focus on Taeoh,” he says quietly, looking up to see the way Kyungsoo’s eyes soften.

 

 

“You’ve been saying that for three years now,” he says gently, bumping his shoulder into Jongin’s. “What about you?”

 

 

 

 

 

Jongin drives back home mulling over Kyungsoo’s words, still feeling torn. He’s always given Taeoh priority over everything, and it’s not something he regrets nor something he’s planning on stopping. Maybe Kyungsoo’s right though; he does forget about himself in the middle of all of it.

 

 

He’s restless at home, unable to sit in one place for too long. The TV doesn’t help, his eyes just keep glazing over, barely focusing on what’s going on on the screen. He needs to see him. Yanking his coat off the hanger, he looks for his car keys, fully intending to go over to Chanyeol’s place to talk. Except, the second he opens the door, Chanyeol is already there, wide eyed with surprise when Jongin suddenly appears.

 

 

“Chanyeol?”

 

 

“Oh. Jongin. Hi; I was just uh,” Chanyeol scratches the back of his neck awkwardly. He looks nervous.

 

 

“What are you doing here?” Jongin asks quietly, stepping out past the doorframe.

 

 

Chanyeol lowers his hand and looks up at him, his eyes looking sad for a moment before he breathes out a dry laugh.

 

 

“You know, I haven’t written a single word since I stopped coming by.”

 

 

He leans back against the banisters, letting his hands hang loosely in his pockets. He seems to notice that Jongin is fully dressed seconds later because he straightens up quickly.

 

 

“Sorry were you on your way out? I’ll stop wasting your time.”

 

 

“No, Chanyeol wait!” Jongin grabs onto Chanyeol’s arm to stop him in his tracks before he turns to leave. “I was coming to talk to you.”

 

 

“About what?” Chanyeol turns, looking him straight in the eye.

 

 

Jongin swallows.

 

 

“This– I–" he starts, fumbling for the right words. He in a sharp breath.

 

 

“Taeoh is my whole world,” he tries again, more determined this time. “He’s the most important thing in my life; always will be.”

 

 

He’s shaking a little and Chanyeol notices.

 

 

“Of course,” Chanyeol nods earnestly, his expression softening with understanding. “Jongin I know that.”

 

 

Jongin swallows. “But–"

 

 

“But?” Chanyeol probes, taking a step closer as his voice drops to a murmur. Jongin reads the hope in his eyes and pushes on.

 

 

“He doesn’t have to be the only one.”

 

 

The words are barely out of his mouth when Chanyeol steps right into his space, dipping in to kiss him. Jongin sighs into his mouth, gripping him hard and kisses back.

 

 

Their knees bump together as Chanyeol shuffles in closer, pressing right up against Jongin’s front. Jongin can feel him shiver against his lips because it’s freezing outside and Chanyeol isn’t even wearing a scarf.

 

 

Breathing out a laugh Jongin tugs him inside with a hand fisted in the front of his sweater, kicking the door shut before backing him up against the couch and clambers onto his lap to keep kissing him.

 

 

He feels lightheaded, still barely processing that Chanyeol is finally kissing him, dipping his tongue into his mouth, drinking in the sounds he makes. The heat of his mouth is dizzying even if his nose is still frozen and Jongin reaches up to cup Chanyeol’s cheeks, trying to pass on his own warmth. He’s slightly distracted by the hands sliding up along his thighs, but his attention is snapped away by the whimper Chanyeol makes when Jongin curls their tongues together again.

 

 

Chanyeol’s lips are soft against his own, pressing and pulling back, kissing Jongin’s mouth softly. He alternates between right into his mouth and just barely brushing their lips together and it’s blowing Jongin’s mind.

 

 

Chanyeol breaks away first, turning his head to sneeze loudly into his own shoulder. Groaning, he slumps back against the couch and Jongin laughs into his neck.

 

 

“Looks like we’ve come full circle,” he chuckles, still a little breathless and lightheaded from his thundering heart. He pulls his face away from Chanyeol’s throat to look at him properly. “How long were you even waiting out there before I opened the door?”

 

 

Chanyeol hums, leaning into his space and arching his neck to kiss him again. “A while. Couldn’t figure out what to say. Wasn’t sure–"

 

 

Jongin leans in again and kisses him silent.

 

 

“I’m sure,” he breathes, his thumbs along the crest of Chanyeol’s cheekbones. “This. You. I’m sure.”

 

 

Even if it took a while to get around to convincing himself; he’s sure. Chanyeol turns his face to kiss his fingers before dropping back against the couch, his expression open with the same unbridled happiness Jongin can feel ballooning in his chest.