Baekhyun, together with Jongdae and a few of his bodyguards, make their way to the company’s newly renovated hotel and resort. This being Baekhyun’s first time here, he made sure to pass by the outdoor area first to check its amenities. He observes quite a few families lounging by the pool, some foreigners and locals having some fun in their newly improved recreation area.

Being engrossed by his observations he fails to notice a child running towards them at a fast speed. Sure enough, a collision is bound to happen with the child running full speed and not seeing that there were people on his way. An ‘oomf’ from both parties alerts his companions about what happened. The men in black - what he secretly calls these bodyguards - immediately reaches out for the kid but Baekhyun puts his hands up to stop them.

“I’m sorry!” The child exclaims, looking up at a confused Baekhyun with a sheepish smile that makes his eyes form into a crescent shaped one. Baekhyun loses his breathe at the sight of such familiar eyes… Where did he see that before? He wonders internally.

Baekhyun feels a little nudge from his right and -oh!- “It’s okay. Are you hu-rt?” He just asks the child who is tilting his head in confusion. Jongdae, who was the one who nudged him, is looking at him questioningly. However his attention is elsewhere at the moment. Looking down, he sees the child nod his head energetically before shuddering because of the cold breeze, only wearing his swimming attire and still a little bit wet from his swim. After noticing it, Baekhyun hurriedly takes off his blazer and knelt down to cover him, receiving a cute ‘thank you’ in return.

After closer inspection, Baekhyun’s attention zeroes in on the child’s eyes once again. He seems to have a very familiar set of droopy eyes that Baekhyun can’t pinpoint where he first saw, a cute pair of pink lips that are currently open in wonder and two overly large ears that Baekhyun can’t deny looks very endearing. He was about to ask the child who he is when,

“Appa?” the child suddenly asks while staring straight in Baekhyun’s confused orbs. Unbeknownst to them, two similar sets of eyes are staring at each other with the same confusion reflected on its orbs.

And like any other situation like this when a CEO suddenly bumps into a child and have the child call him appa - does that even happen?- Baekhyun can only ask back, “Appa? Who’s appa?”

Instead of being fazed by the not so positive reply, the child wraps his two tiny arms around Baekhyun’s shoulder in reply. The blazer he draped beforehand, falling to the ground with one of his bodyguard picking it up.

The sudden hug freezes Baekhyun and left Jongdae and his security guards shocked and not knowing what to do. A reaction that Baekhyun credits to his usual cold demeanour towards everyone. Although he is kind, he is strict and always has this no-nonsense CEO persona everytime he goes to work and is on official business.

Although confusing, the hug isn’t unwelcome and so he hugs him back in return. He takes the child in his arms, slowly stands up, and he swears this was the warmest feeling he’s ever felt ever since he woke up alone in the hospital. A kind of warmth that he didn’t know he was capable of feeling again.

“You’re appa!” The child answers, belatedly after pulling back from the hug. His eyed crinkling and full of joy. The child must’ve been really comfortable with strangers when he’s not even squirming with Baekhyun carrying him right now.

“Huh? Wha-”

“And I’m Chanhyun!” The boy introduces himself still grinning at Baekhyun like he just made the boy’s day. But before Baekhyun can say anything back to this, they were interrupted by a blonde, tall guy running to their direction while shouting,

“Chanhyun! There you are!” He’s out of breathe, but relief is obvious in his eyes when he sees the child safe, although being carried by a stranger. His Chanyeol hyung is surely gonna kill him later.

Chanhyun immediately looks at the nearing man while happily calling out, “Uncle!” Baekhyun’s bodyguards immediately moves to stop the approaching man but Baekhyun gave them a signal to let him go near them.

Baekhyun carries the baby more securely before facing the newcomer, with Chanhyun who seems to be more excited with the man’s appearance. Baekhyun chuckles at the cute sight and whispers, “Calm down little guy.” To which Chanhyun just smiles to in response before nodding his head and indeed calming down. What an obedient baby, Baekhyun muses, he must’ve been raised by great parents.

“I’m so sorry sir!” the panting man says once he’s gathered enough composure, to Baekhyun, his bodyguards letting him go near, and asked for the child in which Baekhyun reluctantly agrees. Strangely, Baekhyun feels a little pang to his heart when the child was no longer in his arms having let him go immediately scared of making the newly arrived guy angry. Chanhyun looks back at him with a longing expression and Baekhyun can’t help but reciprocate the feeling.

“I was just distracted for a minute and I-” blonde guy tries to explain but he doesn’t have to, it wasn’t a big deal anyway.

“Ah no, it’s okay, Mr-?”

“Sehun.” He supplies.

“-Sehun.” Baekhyun dismisses him, then he alternatively looks at the guy and Chanhyun, who was still busy staring at him despite the arrival of this person and asks, “Is he your brother?”

Sehun shakes his head no and with a hand scratching the back of his neck said, “We’re not really blood related, but yes he sort of is…? I’m his assigned babysitter for this afternoon.” He finishes, hand going back to securely carrying the child. He chastises the toddler gently telling him not to run away like that again.

But Chanhyun interrupts him and started exclaiming excitedly. “Uncle! Look it’s appa!” This statement just made Sehun confused, as far as he knows, Chanhyun doesn’t have an appa. A sad and heartbreaking reality, especially to see him so excited at the prospect of having one.

“I’m right, right?” Chanhyun adds while pointing at Baekhyun, wriggling on his uncle’s hold. Once Sehun realizes what he meant, he just bows again making sure his hold on Chanhyun is secure while saying sorry to him for being disturbed.

Sehun is laughing awkwardly after the silence that seems to keep on happening, “Uhm, sorry about that, Mister. Chanhyun’s probably just excited to be here. I don’t know why he keeps on calling you that?”

He stares at Chanhyun at this, conveying a question he hopes a four year old child could understand. But kids need more than just a stare to be able to understand the situation so Chanhyun just stares back at him too. Innocent eyes staring back at him as if asking him what was wrong with the things he just did.

“Ah, you are guests of the resort?” Baekhyun asks while giving them a smile, not noticing how Jongdae froze beside him.

“Yes, we are appa!” Chanhyun decides to join their conversation, dropping the A word again.

“Chanhyun, what are you saying?” Sehun softly asks the child, getting on eye level with Chanhyun. “He’s not your appa.” Feeling shy over the situation he’s in. He couldn’t even look at the guy, who he assumes is a very important person, scared that he might be feeling unhappy about this already.

“But -” Chanhyun starts, “He looks like the one in the picture.” Chanhyun answers, tears already glistening in his eyes.

Even though confused as to what picture the child is talking about, Sehun just carries him in his arms and whispers something in his ears. “Chanhyun, don’t cry okay? I’m gonna bring you to your dad.” It hurts him too seeing their favorite bubbly little guy be this sad, he must’ve really thought this person was his appa, but sadly it’s just an impossible thing.

All the while Baekhyun is just standing there trying to control and understand this sudden longing he’s feeling. Seeing the child being taken from him, being carried by another person and now crying softly makes him want to take Chanhyun away from Sehun.

What is suddenly happening to him? Why are you so concerned?

Baekhyun has a lot of things to do but to be called an appa, disturbed and definitely making him miss the time he should’ve spent resting, strangely doesn’t bother him even one bit.

“Ajusshi you’re not my appa?” the child asks, eyes still hopeful while looking at Baekhyun. Baekhyun’s heart breaks a little but still, he needs to tell him the truth so, he offered a smile and a little shake of his head. “No, I’m not. I’m sorry.” The “I hope I was” being left unsaid. Even Baekhyun is surprised by that inner thought, but with how cute and warm the toddler was, he thinks it's just a normal reaction. To want to be this child’s appa and be the one to hold and sing him to sleep in the evening and shower him with kisses in the morning.

Seeing the dejected look on the child’s face makes Baekhyun wish he was indeed the person he was looking for. That he was the appa he was so excited to see. But alas fate couldn’t have it that way. Even if this isn’t the Baekhyun now, this isn’t the cold CEO façade he’s let everyone, including his parents see and believe.

A façade made to be able to fool them into thinking he doesn’t care about his part anymore. That he is ready to play his role as his mother’s favorite robot.

But still, he doesn’t care what will happen from what he’s about to say,

“But you can call me that if you want?” Baekhyun slowly offers, heart thudding nervously inside his chest. This question made both Jongdae and Sehun shocked and stare at him wide eyed.

Baekhyun’s sure this little piece of information will make it to his mother with her little spies everywhere. But frankly, he doesn’t care anymore. Seeing this child has given him courage and fire that he doesn’t know he’s still capable of feeling.

“Mister, you don’t have to do that” Sehun starts saying but was interrupted once again when the child in his arms squirmed and asked Sehun to lo