pairing: BaekChen
length: 4837 words

“I’ve left the emergency contact numbers on the fridge and prepped his dinner already, so just follow the instructions on the kitchen counter.”

Baekhyun grinned and nodded as he followed the middle-aged couple to the front entrance. “You don’t have to worry about a thing, Mrs. Kim. And I’ll make sure Jongin is bathed and tucked in bed by nine.”

“If he asks for juice or a bedtime snack, just give him a glass of water. He knows he shouldn’t have anything sugary before he sleeps, but he’ll probably try to take advantage of us not being home,” Mrs. Kim cautioned as she strapped on her heels while her husband opened the door.

“Gotcha, I’ll keep that in mind. Anyway, have fun at the musical, Mr. and Mrs. Kim! Jongin and I are going to have lots of fun here, aren’t we, buddy?” Baekhyun grinned more brightly when he caught sight of the nine-year-old boy peeking around the corner to watch his parents leave.

Jongin nodded shyly in agreement and wiggled his fingers when his parents called their goodbyes over their shoulders before disappearing out of the house.

Once the door clicked shut, Baekhyun sauntered over to the young boy and gently ruffled his soft brown hair. “Okay, champ, let’s get to work on your homework.”

Jongin immediately made a face and accusingly said, “You told my mom and dad we were gonna have fun.”

“We are, I promise!” the eighteen-year-old babysitter immediately answered, holding his hands up in front of him in a placating stance. He then jerked his right thumb behind him, specifically towards his black backpack sitting on the couch in the living room. “I brought my Switch so that we can play Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros.”

Jongin’s brown eyes instantly lit up.

“But your homework has to be finished before we play,” Baekhyun firmly added. “You have an English spelling test on Friday, right?”

“Yeah…” the nine-year-old answered glumly, still longingly staring at Baekhyun’s backpack. “We’re learning the names of body parts this month in English class.”

“Well, we’re gonna make sure you ace that test,” Baekhyun cheerfully stated. “And if you finish your homework early, I’ll even take you to the convenience store after dinner and treat you to a snack as a reward.” He grinned when the gleam returned to Jongin’s round eyes as the nine-year-old warmed up to Baekhyun’s proposal. “We can even stay up until nine-thirty if you manage to score an A on your practice test.” The babysitter then held his hand up to his mouth and whispered, “Your parents will never know, since they won’t be home until eleven and I promise I won’t tell on you.”

“Deal!” Jongin shouted before grabbing Baekhyun’s hand and hastily tugging him to the young boy’s bedroom.

--

After Jongin doggedly finished solving two sheets of math problems, Baekhyun gave the young boy a carton of orange juice and a bowl of freshly cut apple slices to snack on while the babysitter checked his answers.

“After you’re done eating, I made some flashcards for you to study before we take a practice test,” Baekhyun told him while absentmindedly pointing at the neat stack of printed cards that sat on Jongin’s nightstand. “I’ll help quiz you with the flashcards until you feel ready to take the practice test. And then while you’re doing that, I’m going to make dinner, okay?”

Jongin grimaced slightly at the thought of more studying, especially when Baekhyun’s Nintendo Switch was tantalizingly waiting for them in the living room, but didn’t protest the teenager’s plan and continued munching on the crispy apple slices.

A few minutes later, Baekhyun cheerfully reported, “Okay, champ, it looks like you’ve only got one division problem to fix and then your homework is good to go!” He tapped the incorrect solution that Jongin had written near the bottom of the second sheet with the end of his pencil while beaming at the young boy, who craned his neck to see his mistake.

“Oh, I accidentally thought it was a nine, not an eight,” Jongin realized as he carefully erased his previous answer and wrote the correct solution.

“No worries, mistakes happen! Just make sure you remember to always double-check your work, okay?” Baekhyun wisely advised. “You don’t want to lose any points over silly mistakes.”

Jongin nodded as he collected the pages and placed them in his homework folder. “How much time do I have until we have to eat dinner?” he asked as he grabbed the stack of flashcards from his nightstand.

“Hmm, about two hours at the most,” Baekhyun answered while looking at his wristwatch. “We can’t eat any later than seven o’clock. But you’ve learned most of these in class, right?” the teenager asked as he took the flashcards from Jongin.

“Yeah, but I really want a perfect score.”

“With that attitude, you’re almost guaranteed an A,” Baekhyun chuckled as he shuffled the cards. “Let’s see how many you already know and then we can go from there.”

Luckily, Jongin had managed to retain most of the lesson and was able to correctly spell around three-fourths of the words in their first round of quizzing. Baekhyun patiently worked through the remaining five words—stomach, elbow, finger, shoulder, and knee—with the young boy until he could recite them with ease.

Seeing that it was almost six o’clock, Baekhyun collected the flashcards from Jongin’s desk and replaced them with the practice test he had created earlier. “When you’re done, come to the dining room, okay?”

“Okay!”

Baekhyun smiled, internally thanking the young boy for being such a good kid, as he closed the bedroom door behind him. After leaving the flashcards on the rectangular table in the living room, the teenager made his way to the kitchen and found the promised instructions for tonight’s meal. He raised an eyebrow upon seeing an underlined postscript, requesting that he make three portions and save the third in the refrigerator, but decided not to think too deeply about it.

The teenager hummed to himself as he grabbed a bag of frozen ox bone soup to heat up. As the broth came to a boil in a large pot on the stove, Baekhyun sliced up some beef and green onions to throw in later. He then doled out the various side dishes that Mrs. Kim had left in the refrigerator and set the dining table for two.

Twenty minutes in, Jongin peered through the kitchen entrance while clutching his practice test. “I’m done!” he squeaked out, waving the page in the air.

“Perfect! I’ll grade it after dinner before we go to the convenience store, okay?”

Jongin nodded and briefly scurried away to place it on the living room table. Once he returned, the young boy shyly asked, “Is it time to eat?”

“Yup, dinner’s ready!” Baekhyun cheerfully replied as he portioned the ox bone soup into three bowls. He placed a thin plate over the third bowl before carrying the other two to the dining table and setting them down. “Let’s dig in, champ!”

--

Ecstatic cheers echoed throughout the living room as Baekhyun and Jongin managed a one-two finish on Rainbow Road.

“We did it! We actually did it!” Jongin whooped, bouncing wildly on the couch while the teenager laughed brightly at the young boy’s silly antics.

“C’mon, gimme five over here, champ!”

Just as they were high-fiving each other, the front door suddenly swung open and Jongin yelped as he tried to burrow himself underneath the couch cushions. He couldn’t let himself get caught being awake past his bedtime.

Baekhyun raised his eyebrows in confusion as he turned to see why Mr. and Mrs. Kim had returned so early, but to his surprise, a teenage boy dressed in all black had sauntered in instead.

The other boy narrowed his eyes when their gazes met and he crossed his arms while gruffly asking, “Who’re you?”

“I’m Jongin’s babysitter,” Baekhyun calmly answered as he patted the younger boy’s back, guiding him to sit up. “Who are you?”

“I live here. Duh,” the other boy spat and he nonchalantly kicked the front door shut before heading to the kitchen.

Jongin’s head popped up and his eyes widened as he told Baekhyun in a hushed voice, “That’s my big brother, Jongdae! You gotta tell him not to tell on me for staying up!”

“I heard that, squirt.”

Jongin whimpered and dove back into the couch cushions, causing Baekhyun to chuckle weakly.

“Well, since we won just now, why don’t we end here on a good note and head to bed?” the babysitter suggested as he hooked his arms around Jongin’s to haul the young boy up again. “It’s past your bedtime and all champions need a good night’s rest, so they can also conquer the next day.”

Jongin cast a furtive glance at his older brother, who was busily rummaging around the refrigerator, before hastily nodding and darting off the couch towards the bathroom.

“I’m going to draw up a bath for Jongin now,” Baekhyun politely informed Jongdae as he stood up from the couch as well. “Do you need anything before I go?”

“No,” Jongdae answered shortly. “You’re not my babysitter,” he then muttered, although still loud enough for Baekhyun to hear.

Deciding that there was no point in wasting his time with this brooding stranger, Baekhyun made his way to the bathroom and the faucet to fill the bathtub for Jongin. The young boy was obediently brushing his teeth, but when he glanced at the teenager, there was palpable fear in his round eyes.

“Is something bothering you?” Baekhyun kindly asked, resting an elbow against the edge of the porcelain tub while partly twisting his body to face the young boy.

After some noisy gargling and spitting, Jongin quietly said, “Jongdae’s gonna tell on me. I know it.”

“And why do you think that, champ?”

“Because,” the young boy bit down on his bottom lip, “he just will. To show our parents that I also don’t follow the rules…”

Baekhyun quirked an eyebrow as he asked, “Does your older brother break the rules regularly?”

“Kinda, yeah…”

Feeling the young boy’s discomfort roll off of him in waves, Baekhyun sent Jongin a kind smile as he stood up and lightly patted his shoulder. “Well, if anything, I’ll let your parents know that you were a very good boy today and there’s no reason for them to get upset, especially since you’re going to ace that English test on Friday. I’ll even show them the A you got on your practice test when they get back.”

“I guess…” There was a short pause before Jongin slowly asked, “Do you think you could ask him not to tell?” He blinked his round eyes up at Baekhyun. “Just to make sure he doesn’t say anything once you’re gone. After all, you managed to convince me to study earlier. It’s like you have a… You have a…a way with words,” the young boy clumsily continued, causing his babysitter to chuckle.

More like he had managed to successfully bribe Jongin into studying and doing his homework. Baekhyun knew that the content of his words had held more weight than the way he had conveyed them. But for the sake of his young charge, Baekhyun merely nodded in acknowledgement. “Alright, I’ll talk to your brother while you bathe.”

Jongin cheered and tightly hugged Baekhyun, who genially ruffled the young boy’s hair and gently pushed him to the tub.

“I’ll be back in about ten minutes, okay?”

“Yes, sir!”

With that, Baekhyun closed the bathroom door behind him and made his way back to the living room. Jongdae was sprawled across the couch with a giant bag of potato chips and a can of beer in hand, lazily scrolling through his phone and flicking crumbs everywhere. Sighing loudly, Baekhyun walked into the kitchen and found several dirty dishes piled haphazardly in the sink. While pressing his lips in a thin line, he quickly rolled up his sleeves and cleaned the plates, neatly stacking them in the rack next to the sink, before heading back to the living room.

“What?”

Baekhyun’s eyebrows jumped up in surprise as he answered, “I didn’t say anything.”

“But you were going to,” Jongdae predicted before taking a generous swig of alcohol. “So spit it out now.”

Baekhyun grimaced slightly as he watched more crumbs fly every which way. Partly distracted from trying to remember where Mrs. Kim kept her cleaning supplies, Baekhyun said, “I just wanted to talk to you about Jongin.”

Jongdae narrowed his eyes and let out a callous laugh. “Why? You wanna keep it a secret that he’s been playing video games past his bedtime?”

“Well, not exactly,” Baekhyun answered before letting out an exasperated exhale. “Yes, it’s true that we were gaming past nine o’clock, but it was a reward he earned for finishing his homework early and studying really hard for a test he has this Friday. Now he’s really worried that he’ll get in trouble, even though I reassured him that he did nothing wrong, and he wanted me to talk to you.”

“Okay, you’ve talked to me. You can leave now. Besides, shouldn’t you be watching him right now, not me?” Jongdae snarled as he turned back to his phone and popped another potato chip in his mouth.

“Jongin’s taking a bath. Once he’s done, I’ll tuck him in and then come back here to work on homework until your parents get home,” Baekhyun smoothly said. “When you came home, I was a bit confused as to why your parents hired a babysitter when you’re clearly old enough to take care of Jongin yourself. But now I see why they needed me tonight.”

Jongdae’s eyes turned stormy and his muscles tensed under his black clothing. “Watch it, kid. I’m in college right now. You don’t wanna mess with me.”

“For your information, I’m also in college and I’m pretty sure I’m a lot more independent than you are, considering you still live with your parents,” Baekhyun easily shot back. “Must be nice to live off of Mommy and Daddy’s money.”

“You piece of—”

“Um, Baekhyun, I’m done with my bath…” Jongin had already dressed himself in his pajamas and was now timidly holding out his wet towel for Baekhyun to take. His round eyes darted between the two teenagers who were glaring darkly at each other and a barely audible hiccup escaped the young boy’s lips.

Replacing his frown with a sunny smile, Baekhyun walked over to Jongin and began leading him to his bedroom. “Alright, champ, let’s get to bed.”

Once they were out of earshot, Jongin whispered to his babysitter, “Did he agree not to tell on me?”

Seeing how worried and anxious the young boy was, Baekhyun knelt down next to him and gently patted his head. “I promise you won’t get in trouble, Jongin. You trust me, right?”

The nine-year-old slowly nodded his head.

“You’re a good kid, Jongin. Don’t ever forget that.”

“Okay, thank you, Baekhyun,” the young boy said with a small smile. He then yawned loudly and slipped into bed, hugging a large teddy bear to his chest.

The teenager carefully tucked the edges of Jongin’s duvet into the sides of the bed while whispering, “Good night,” as the young boy’s eyes fluttered shut. Baekhyun then switched off the light and tiptoed out of the bedroom, silently closing the door behind him.

Now it was time to deal with the other child in this house.

Baekhyun returned to the living room and, to his horror, found Jongdae placing his grubby hands all over his Nintendo Switch. “Oi, keep your dirty hands to yourself!” Baekhyun yelped while swatting the other boy’s hands away from the expensive game console. “Who said you could touch my Switch?!”

“Who said you could barge in here and act like you’re the boss of me?” Jongdae snapped back. “And chill out, jeez. It’s not like I broke it or anything.”

“Your hands are filthy,” Baekhyun irritably pointed out as he grabbed a paper towel to wipe all of the oily, sticky crumbs off of the game console. “And you shouldn’t be touching things that aren’t yours. Ever heard of personal space?”

“You should be asking yourself that, since you’ve been invading my personal space all night,” Jongdae groused.

Even though all Baekhyun wanted to do was take his backpack and escape what was quickly becoming a nightmare, he reminded himself that he was a mature professional and mature professionals did not run away from good-for-nothing losers like Kim Jongdae. And having also made a promise to Jongin, Baekhyun closed his eyes for several seconds to briefly re-center his mind before he fixed Jongdae with a serious stare. “Anyway, like I was saying earlier, Jongin and I would really appreciate it if you didn’t spin him staying up past his bedtime into something he needs to be punished for. If anything, I should be the one who gets in trouble with your parents, since it was my idea.”

“What’s in it for me?” Jongdae lazily asked.

“The satisfaction of being a good older brother.”

“Wouldn’t a good older brother make sure his baby brother went to bed on time?” Jongdae smirked.

Baekhyun clenched his jaw, wishing he could punch that stupid smirk off of the other boy’s stupid face. “An even better older brother wouldn’t purposely get his younger brother in trouble.” Before Jongdae could make a nasty retort, Baekhyun held up his hand and said, “Forget it. I don’t have the time or energy to argue with you about this. I’ll talk to your parents myself and explain what really happened before you can give them a twisted version.” He then grabbed his backpack and took out his physics textbook; he had thirty problems to solve by midnight and arguing with Jongdae wasn’t going to increase his productivity a single bit.

Baekhyun flipped open the textbook to the first page of Chapter Six, Uniform Circular Motion and Gravitation, and began taking notes. Physics wasn’t his favorite subject to study, but he was good at learning and understanding formulas, which made the task much more bearable.

However, as time gradually ticked by, he could feel an annoyingly strong gaze burning holes into his back. It was incredibly distracting, to say the least, and Baekhyun did his best to ignore the stares.

But it was all for naught when an aggravating voice pierced the air. “You’re studying physics?”

“Yes, I’m a Mechanical Engineering major, so I’m required to take several physics courses in order to graduate,” Baekhyun stiffly answered.

“I got stuck with physics as one of my general education classes, since all of the biology and chemistry sections maxed out,” Jongdae groaned as he leaned over Baekhyun’s shoulder to look at his homework. “Oh, dang, this looks hard. Thank god I’m not in your class.”

“Yes, thank god you aren’t,” Baekhyun muttered under his breath as he shifted away from the other male.

“Do you even understand any of this nonsense?”

“I would understand more if you stopped bothering me,” Baekhyun snapped as he angled his body over his textbook to conceal it from Jongdae’s view. “Please, just—I don’t know—go to your own room and hang out there or something.”

“This is my house. I can hang out wherever I want,” Jongdae said with a sniff. To further emphasize his point, he leaned back against the couch again and propped up his socked feet on the table that Baekhyun was currently using. “By the way, what’s inertia?”

The taller male turned back and glared darkly at Jongdae before answering in a low growl, “It’s a physical object’s resistance to changes in motion.”

“Okay, but what does that mean?”

Letting out a deep sigh, Baekhyun explained, “Basically, objects resist changes in velocity, like being sped up or slowed down. Heavier objects are harder to move or stop, so more mass means more inertia.” He sighed again before tiredly asking, “Now can you please leave me alone?”

“Sure, thanks for the help.”

Good, that was the end of that. Baekhyun resumed reading his next physics problem and kept his back firmly towards Jongdae to signal that he had no desire to engage in any further conversations.

Which the other male promptly ignored.

“Actually, I have another question to ask.”

Baekhyun could feel every nerve in his body ready to snap as he pasted on the fakest smile he’d ever worn in his entire life and slowly turned to face the other teenage boy. “What?” he asked through tightly gritted teeth.

“How about this, nerd, if you tutor me in physics and help me get an A this semester, I’ll keep Jongin’s little secret,” Jongdae proposed with a Cheshire cat-like grin. “Easy, right?”

“What the—no, how is that even equal?!” Baekhyun protested, trying to keep his anger at a simmer to avoid accidentally waking Jongin up.

“Think of it as benefitting Jongin in the long run,” Jongdae airily said. “I can give him my notes and exams to study from once he’s older.”

“Or I could just tutor Jongin myself when the time comes.”

“You’re really going to retain all of this in ten years?” The other male kicked the edge of Baekhyun’s textbook, which startled the taller male, and let out a hollow chuckle. “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Just so you know, you’re doing a terrible job at trying to convince me to tutor you.” Baekhyun pointedly moved himself away from Jongdae. “And why should it matter to me whether or not you get an A? I have my own grades to worry about.”

“I’ll pay you.”

Baekhyun raised an eyebrow in doubt. “With what money?”

“Just because I live at home doesn’t mean I’m broke, okay?” Jongdae took out a thin black wallet and deftly flipped it open. “See for yourself.” There were several large bills stuck inside to prove his point.

“Bribery isn’t going to work on me,” Baekhyun calmly stated as he tried to refocus on his physics homework. “I already work enough part-time jobs to support myself.”

“Well, now you can quit one of them to study with me. Isn't that better for your grades?” Jongdae pointed out as he took out several bills and waved them in front of the taller male’s face. “Besides, what kind of person passes up free money?”

“If you were giving me free money, you wouldn’t be trying to coerce me into tutoring you in exchange for your little brother’s happiness,” Baekhyun flatly replied.

“Alright, suit yourself,” Jongdae said with a nonchalant shrug. Then there was a slight pause before he quietly added while smirking, “Poor Jongin will be so disappointed…”

“Argh, that’s it! I already said that I’m telling your parents myself! So please, just let me study in peace and go do your own thing!”

Jongdae clucked his tongue in response and pocketed his wallet before returning to scroll through his phone.

With the conversation seemingly over, Baekhyun exhaled deeply and focused on his physics homework once more. Although he could feel Jongdae looking over at him every few minutes, the taller male did his best to ignore his stares and resolutely worked through dozens of calculations.

After a blissful hour of complete silence, Baekhyun was nearing the end of his problem set when the sound of jangling keys suddenly permeated the atmosphere and the front door swung open. Mr. and Mrs. Kim both walked in, shrugging their coats off at the entrance, and amicably greeting both boys.

“When did you get home, Jongdae?” Mrs. Kim asked as her husband took her coat.

“A little bit after nine,” her son answered while aiming a sly grin at Baekhyun, who shot back a surreptitious glare. “Did you know—”

“How was the musical, Mr. and Mrs. Kim?” Baekhyun hastily cut in while pasting a bright smile on his face as he stood up and patted down the edges of his shirt.

“Such a wonderful show,” Mrs. Kim answered with a beam. “I honestly didn’t have high expectations for a military musical, but it was on par with some of the best theater performances out there. We’re definitely planning to attend more in the future.”

“There were quite a few young girls in the audience,” Mr. Kim added with a chuckle. “I believe some of the cast members were celebrities who are currently serving, so the performance hall was quite crowded. But overall, like my wife said, a lovely experience.”

“That’s great to hear!”

Glancing in the direction of her youngest son’s bedroom, Mrs. Kim asked, “How was Jongin? He didn’t give you too much trouble, did he?”

“No, no, not at all! Best kid I’ve ever babysat!” Baekhyun quickly answered before Jongdae could open his mouth. “He finished his homework early and I helped him study for an English test he has on Friday. He was very attentive when I tutored him and I’m sure he’ll come home with an A, since he’s such a hard worker,” he ended with a proud smile.

“That’s good to hear!” Mrs. Kim beamed again. “He’s a bit shy around strangers, so I’m glad you two managed to get along well. Honey, do you have his pay?”

“Right here,” her husband answered while extracting several bills from his wallet. “Thank you so much for your help, Baekhyun,” Mr. Kim warmly said as he placed them in the teenage boy’s hands. “My wife and I haven't enjoyed a night out like this in a while, so we really appreciate you taking care of Jongin so well.”

“It was my pleasure,” Baekhyun said with a slight bow. “If you ever need me to babysit Jongin again, please feel free to call me! I’d be more than happy to watch him again.”

However, before he could turn around to grab his backpack and his homework, an arm suddenly swung over his shoulders and kept Baekhyun trapped in place. “Actually, Mom and Dad,” a frustratingly familiar voice lazily drawled, “Baekhyun’s gonna be tutoring me from now on.”

“Wha—”

“He’s a whiz at physics and since he was such a great tutor for Jongin today, I figured he could tutor me as well,” Jongdae smoothly continued, completely ignoring the look of horror currently etched on Baekhyun’s face. “Isn’t that great?”

“I—”

“That’s so sweet of you, Baekhyun!” Mrs. Kim then turned to her eldest son and asked, “What rate did you two agree on?”

“We didn’t—”

“It’s okay, Mom. I can pay him,” Jongdae said as he pressed closer against Baekhyun, whose thoughts were becoming a jumbled mess as he tried to figure out how he had landed himself in such a blatant trap. “He gave me a great offer: only five bucks an hour!”

“Wait, I—”

“That’s far too low!” Mrs. Kim immediately protested, eyes wide as she turned to Baekhyun. “Let me pay you an actual salary, Baekhyun dear. Thirty an hour and that’s the lowest I’ll go.”

“Mrs. Kim, it’s fine—” the Mechanical Engineering student weakly started.

“No, no, I insist! You’ve taken such great care of Jongin and you’ll be helping out Jongdae as well! You need to be properly compensated for it,” Mrs. Kim said as she jotted down a quick written agreement for the newly created job. “Just log your hours and my husband will write a check for you every two weeks.”

“Great! Thanks, Mom! Thanks, Dad!” The arm that was currently s around Baekhyun moved up so that Jongdae could poke the stunned male’s left cheek. “I’ll be a physics master in no time.”

Baekhyun’s mind was utterly blank.

“C’mon, I’ll you out. Be right back, Mom and Dad!”

Before Baekhyun could properly register what was happening, Jongdae had scooped up the other male’s belongings and propelled him out of the house. Once they reached the sidewalk, Baekhyun’s mind finally rebooted and he managed to splutter out, “What did you just volunteer me for?!”

“I didn’t volunteer you for anything. I got you another job,” Jongdae clarified. “And you should be thanking me. Thirty an hour is way above minimum wage.”

“But I didn’t want this! I have other things to do! I can’t spend my time babysitting you!”

Jongdae gaze hardened as he spat, “You’re not babysitting me, you dolt. You’re tutoring me in physics. And you’re getting paid. So just accept it and go home.” He unceremoniously pushed Baekhyun farther down the sidewalk and turned around to head back into his house. Holding up a hand in a languid wave, Jongdae added, “I’ll see you at the library on Monday at four o’clock sharp. Don’t be late.”

Baekhyun felt all of the fight leave his body as the other male disappeared into his house, the door securely closing behind him. His fun day babysitting a sweet nine-year-old boy had ended in a complete disaster, thanks to Jongin’s thug-like older brother.

Just his luck.

♈♈♈