Cheolsoo : Thank You

Vernon is thankful, but Seungcheol is more.

              A sweet smell filled the whole kitchen as Jisoo stirred the boiling milk, adding scraped vanilla, sugar and cream. He tasted a bit of the mixture before announcing that he got the perfect sugar to milk ratio, pleased with his improving cooking skill. He heard a soft singing as someone entered the kitchen. The RnB tone signaled that it was Hansol (Or Vernon as he often referred himself as).

“Hey Vernon, pass me some salt.” He called to the middle schooler, in which the latter complied and handed him the shaker.

“What are you making, dad? Smells good by the way.” The teenager sing songed, peeping at the pot on the stove. Jisoo smiled and dipped a spoon in, blowing softly before handing Vernon the tester.

              “I planned on making bread pudding, saw the recipe online and I thought it was pretty simple. Besides, your brother started to drink less milk lately.” Jisoo explained, “So how was it? I think it’s pretty good already.”

“It’s good. Gosh you’re becoming such a housewife, Dad. Come on.” Vernon teased in english, but eventually helping Jisoo taking out some ramekins.

              “Oh shut up.” The older chuckled, eyes forming perfect crescent as he watched his stepson aligning the ramekins for him. Jisoo continued adding ingredients (“Go easy on the cinnamons daad, we kids don’t like it that much you know.”) and having small chit chat with his oldest stepson.

By marrying Seungcheol a year ago, Jisoo was somehow blessed with two step sons. Hansol Vernon and Seungkwan, both 14 and 7. At first, he wasn’t sure about how the boys felt, having their late mom replaced by someone who wasn’t even a woman. But they eventually opened up to him, with Vernon being surprisingly close to him (They're both English speakers so that's probably the common thing that connects them together.)

Previously, Seungcheol was married to a foreigner and they had Hansol within the second year of their marriage. Regardless to say, the little family was as happy as they could be, they even adopted little Boo Seungkwan when Vernon was 8. But not even two years after that, their beautiful, loving mother got diagnosed with cancer and died shortly after. The incident left Seungcheol broken and wilting, barely surviving for the sake of his children.

His older son, Vernon, was forced to mature faster than children his age. Having to take care of his baby brother Seungkwan, who was still so very young. Never did he complained for he had loved his brother and father dearly. By the age of twelve years old,Vernon already knew how to cook a full course meal while tending Seungkwan’s kindergarten homeworks and keeping his As at school. Seungcheol couldn’t be more thankful for him, but he started to pity his son. He didn’t deserve to work that hard. He tried to get a nanny, but boy sure is hard to find a good nanny these days (“Appa, I don’t think we need a nanny, really.” He remembered Vernon once told him)

He tried to date again, but he was afraid that Vernon or Seungkwan wouldn’t want him to remarry (well, he didn’t exactly wanted to). Also, most of his dates backed away after he told them he had 2 children already. (“Your son is 12? Cheol you’re only 30.” He had heard them saying before hearing nothing from them anymore, so what with early marriages? He still managed to finish college, get a great job, and afford a decent house anyway.) So when he finally met Jisoo, his world sparked up.

He knew to the younger man from one of his best friend at work, introducing the younger as a young architect slash entrepreneur who recently started looking for a relationship. They hit it off pretty soon, having compatibility in a lot of things. Sure Seungcheol had mentioned about him being a single father of two, Jisoo seemed like he didn’t mind. So he brought the aforementioned sons on their first date, thinking that it would be the best to introduce his kids early in the relationship so if Jisoo decided to back out, their ship hadn’t sailed far off.

Vernon knew his appa swung both sides. Seungcheol had told him about his dates before, both women and men. But he never actually get to meet a guy whom his father currently dated. He was still a bit shocked, seeing the pretty, orange haired guy at the reservation table. He stayed silent the whole evening, talking to Seungkwan most of the times. He got to admit, he didn’t sense a bad vibe in Jisoo, but back then it was too early to announce that he approved of their relationship. His little brother, though, had almost no idea about what was happening.

The marriage took place about six months after. Seungcheol repeatedly asked his sons if they were really okay with that, in which Seungkwan replied with a smiley and eager nod, and Vernon with a simple “Of course dad.”, the older hadn’t really sure, but he had seen the way his father finally looked genuinely happy because of Jisoo. He swore to god he would of course say yes to whatever that’s making their father brimmed with joy once again. What a good kid.

              “Dad? You’re kinda zoning out, you know. I think the pudding is ready to be taken out,” Vernon nudged Jisoo. The older mumbled simple ah-yeahs before taking out the ramekins from the oven. His stepson sighed in content as his nostrils were invaded with vanilla. Jisoo placed a warm ramekin in front of the oldest, warning him to let it cool down before digging in.

 “Seungkwan must be happy, dad. Both me and appa were never good with desserts.” Vernon smiled, taking another bite off his pudding.

As if on cue, Seungkwan entered the kitchen. Pouting as he dumped his bag on the kitchen counter. Seungcheol laughed behind him.

“Daaaad, appa is embarrassing meeeee,” He whined, “Hey what’s this yummy smell?” he sniffed the air. Jisoo gave him his share of pudding while chuckling, “What did appa do this time, sweetie? I’m surprised you haven’t got used to your father’s antics by now. He is embarrassing 80% of the times, you know.”

“Jisoo, I’m offended.” Suengcheol faked a pout, taking a seat beside Vernon as he stealthily took a spoonful of pudding.

“He told the mothers in the school that I sang trot, all the mothers! He even showed them the videos. Kids my age sang to bigbang, not trot.” The maknae hissed at Seungcheol and Vernon who doubled in laughter (“Appa, you showed them the ones with hideous glasses, right?”). Jisoo held back a stifled laugh, “Now, now, Cheol. That’s not very good of you, you know.” He started, “His friends will hear about that from their mothers. Including maybe Younghee. You don’t ruin your son’s love life like that.” Jisoo continued, teasing the youngest about his puppy crush.

              “Ugh not you too dad! I did not like Younghee!”

              “Thanks for helping me, buddy. Now go take a shower after Seungkwan.” Jisoo thanked Vernon for helping him putting away the dishes. The teenager smiled at him before hopping to his and Seunkwan’s shared room. But soon retreated back to the kitchen.

“Uh, dad?”

“Yeah?”

“I may have never told you this clearly, but uh, thanks.” He finished his sentence quickly, blushing as he went back to his room. The new dad was taken aback, but smiled eventually at the kid’s awkward honesty. ‘He didn’t even told me why he was thankful,’Jisoo thought.

              That night, when the kids are fast asleep, their father was cuddling on their beds. Jisoo’s head on the older’s broad shoulder as they watched criminal minds on TV. Seungcheol hummed contently as he pulled the younger closer. Crescent eyes slowly started to drift off.

“Jisoo-ah,” He called

“Hm?”

              “Vernon asked me to tell you this,” He started, “I said already that you already knew, but he insisted me to tell you.. that he was very thankful for you coming along to our family. He told me to thank you for taking care of him, Seungkwan, and me well. He uh.. he loves you.” Seungcheol ended his sentence with a big, contented smile. Jisoo looked up to him after the last sentence, eyes moist and crinkling in happiness. “But uh, I am even more thankful than Vernon, baby. I love you so much, Jisoo-ah. Thank you.” The older added with a gummy smile.

              “I know, hyung. I am thankful too.” He replied before sealing the gap between them with a kiss.

Just a few meters from the fathers, Vernon and Seungkwan shifted comfortably in their sleeps. Not knowing how they suddenly got happier, warmer dreams.

A/n : Cheolsoo being domestic is my recent obsession, any reccomendation fellas?