The argument between the President and the secretary became distant noises in Youngjae’s ears. He’s been tuning them out throughout this whole morning meeting. For one, it’s just two best friends bickering over trivial matters like usual. For two, Youngjae couldn’t concentrate on anything else that doesn’t involve a certain father and his cute son. For three, he got special plans after work, which he’s very excited for.

       “-Leave me alone, Jinyoung, you’re helpless,” the President rolled his eyes, completely over with his best friend’s attitude.

       “You don’t understand, Mark! Come on! Help me out here,” Jinyoung, Youngjae’s secretary, plopped down on the chair across from Mark. “I can’t just leave him. I love him-”

       “Oh, please, take your love bull somewhere else, sweetheart. The man is married with three kids for ’s sake! You do realize that you’re his mistress in this whole cheating scheme of his, right? You’re better than this,” Mark sighed. “Seriously, you’re twenty-nine, still young, that man is at least twenty years older-”

       “Actually, he’s only seventeen years older-”

       “Shut up,” Mark groaned, “I get that you want to settle down, but for the love of God, do it with someone who doesn’t have a wife and kids. You’re ruining their family. Don’t be selfish.”

       “But-” Jinyoung was persistent, ambitious, and all kinds of reckless.

       Youngjae exhaled slowly and slammed his fist onto the table, already listened enough to this crazy situation. “Let’s just all agree that Jinyoung-hyung is going to find another older man to mess with within the next week like always. So, leave this conversation behind and continue on with stuff that are relevant to this company, please.”

       The President nodded, “Agree. So sit your down, Jinyoung, you’re overreacting over something so unnecessary-”

       “I can’t believe I recommended you to Youngjae! You’re such an !” The secretary shouted, arms crossing against his chest and eyes glaring at his best friend of twenty years. “And you know what, Mark? Maybe you should settle down, so you won’t have your head up your all the damn time. You’re ing thirty-three! THIRTY-THREE!”

       “Language,” Youngjae said from the side, “please, be mindful that you’re still at work and sitting in front of the CEO of this company.”

       Rubbing his temples tiredly, Mark was about to retort, but only got interrupted by the ringing of Jinyoung’s phone. Youngjae looked up from the documents that he was re-reading and raised an eyebrow, totally did not expect for his own professional secretary to not set the phone on silent while in the meeting room. His secretary immediately picked up the call like he has been waiting for it.

       “H-hello?” Jinyoung answered as he quietly excused himself out of the room.

       “It’s him,” Mark clarified, not after an annoyed scoff, “the reason that Jinyoung spent a ing weekend at my place moping about how unfair the world is.”

      “Jinyoung-hyung is helpless,” Youngjae sadly shook his head, feeling bad for his hyung. “He’s so different from you, hyungnim.”

       Mark let out a relaxing laugh, “I know. Opposite attracts, I supposed.”

       Watching Mark’s calming expression for a while, Youngjae cracked a tiny smile, “You’re old, hyungnim.”

       Rolling his eyes, Mark set the files he was holding down on the table, “I don’t need you to remind me that. And I’m not that old.”

       “When are you going to…”

       “I don’t do relationship nor do I believe in commitment, Youngjae-ah. I’m fine with the way things are right now. It’s peaceful.”

       The CEO chuckled, “It’s amazing how you and Jinyoung-hyung are best friends for twenty years, when Jinyoung-hyung is all about venturing out and finding love and dating every chances he gets, while you, hyungnim, you’re all secluded and composed and avoiding the thoughts of being involved with someone else.”

       Mark quirked an eyebrow, “Someone else? What’s that supposed to mean?”

       Unable to contain his amused giggles, Youngjae just stared down and let himself freed, “I’m sure you’re old enough to know what I mean.”

       “Yeah, because when two guys are best friends for a long time, one of them have to develop something other than friendship for the other. Nice interpretation, Mister Choi,” Mark sneered sarcastically, like it isn’t the first time that people had mistaken.

       “You’re right. Jinyoung-hyung is too wild for you anyways. I think you’ll prefer the more elegantly calm type, like yourself.”

       “If I were to choose a man,” Mark leaned forward, hands clasping over each other as they rest on the table, a predatory smirk embellished his handsome face. Youngjae, on instincts and survival tactics, backed away in his seat. The President took full-on advance. “I’d choose CEO Im, you know?”

       The glint in Mark’s eyes makes Youngjae’s skin crawls uncomfortably. Youngjae gulped, “Wh-wha-what. . .?”

       “CEO Im, Im Jaebum, the other youngest CEO, the one with an adorable little kid, the one who always stared at you like you're some kind of delicious piece of cake-”

       “J-Jaebum-hyung doesn’t like me like th-that. . .” Youngjae defended, cheeks flaming red for no particular reason.

       “Oh.” Mark’s smirk grew wider and scarier.

       , Youngjae thought, I’ve fell for the bait.

       “Hyung?”

      “Mark-”

       “You call him hyung? So you kids are on a let’s-drop-the-last-names-and-the-ssi basis?” The President stared down at his CEO, who’s squirming slightly in the spinning chair.

       Youngjae bit his lower lip, “I mean, he’s older, and I hang around a lot so-”

       “Hang where, Youngjae-ah,” Mark smiled; it wasn’t a nice smile, “His place?”

       “NO!” Youngjae shook his head immediately, “I- Well- We- I j-just wanted to play with Kibum, okay? But no, I’ve never been to his place . . .”

       Mark scoffed, giving Youngjae the same attitude as he did with Jinyoung. He’s done. “Using a kid as an excuse to be around the man you’ve been swooning over since last year isn’t very nice, Youngjae.”

       “What? I-I don’t like h-him-”

       Groaning, the frustration builds up, developing a new form of an annoying headache branded in the President’s head. “Don’t argue back. You’re like Jinyoung, and my God, one Park Jinyoung is enough. I don’t need another one.”

       “I-”

       “All right, you like him, and I’m a thousand percent sure he likes you, too. So why don’t you just ask him out already, since it doesn’t seems like he has the guts to. Look, you two been talking and hanging out for like what, a month now? Everyone knows you two spinning pinwheels around each other, okay? It’s obvious. So, quit this childish chase, and just already. Goodness gracious.” Mark finished up with a loud exhale of air, feeling his mood slowly slipping from all the dramas and bulls, which are things he was never fond of.

       The younger know his hyungnim means no harm, but the words and tone of Mark’s voice subtly feels like tiny stings over Youngjae’s skin. Youngjae sympathized with Mark. The thirty-three-year-old President was very stressed and tired.

       “Hyungnim, maybe you should-” Opening his mouth to suggest a rest day for Mark, Youngjae didn’t get to formalize a full sentence before his secretary burst in through the doors. Youngjae closed his mouth, because the drained look in Jinyoung’s bright face was gone from existence.

       Mark looked up at the devastated figure, and without a word, patted the seat next to him, arms wide open. Jinyoung didn’t hesitate as he lifelessly walked over and took the seat, his entire self slumped into his best friend’s embrace. Mark sighed and turned to Youngjae, mouthing an all too familiar “They broke up.”

       Pursing his lips, Youngjae just mindlessly flipping over the files. Guess the rest of the meeting was stopped now. He glanced over at the duo. Jinyoung didn’t look like he’s been crying, but he does look like someone had just set his house on fire. And Mark, well, Mark just looked really tired. But nonetheless, Mark still softly rubs Jinyoung’s shoulder as some attempt of comfort.

       “What did I told you,” Mark said.

       “Come pick me up after work. I want to crash by your place,” Jinyoung replied.

       “Jinyoung, you did just last weekend. You can’t just ‘crash by my place’ whenever you feel sad.”

       Even though Mark said that, Youngjae still knows the older would open the door anyways. They’ve been friends for too long. It’s impossible to not have a heart when the other is experiencing a downfall.

       Gathering the bulky business binder and files, Youngjae gave Mark a nod, a signal that he’s going to leave. Mark nodded back in return; his expression reads a single apology. Youngjae didn’t mind, so the younger offered a small smile, genuinely hoping his secretary will feel better.

       “Pack a lot of stuff, Jinyoung. It seems like you’ll be staying over for a while,” was the last thing Youngjae heard Mark said before the doors closed.

       The vibrations of the young CEO’s phone jolted his nerves as he stood waiting for the elevator. Youngjae fished the device from his pants’ pocket. The screen reads a neat ‘Jaebum-hyung,’ stirring confusion within Youngjae because why would CEO Im calls him during this time of the day. It’s not even lunch yet. But of course, he answered anyways, “Hello?”

       “JAE!” A cheerful voice rang loudly through the line, snapping every stillness in this world wide awake. Immediately recognizing who it was, Youngjae’s slight frown turned into a smile.

       “Kibum? What are you doing with your dad’s phone?” The elevator’s doors slid open, revealing two workers, who responded to Youngjae’s little nod and smile with a respectful bow. The young CEO reached out and pressed the button, heading up to his office at Floor Ninth.

       An enthusiastic giggle resonated sweetly in Youngjae’s ears, making all his stresses from this morning’s meeting disappeared like magic. “Daddy left his phone here, and I want to call you!”

       The elevator dings as its doors opened to the destined floor. Youngjae got off after mouthing a “Have a great day” to the two workers, in which they replied with another bow. CEO Choi continued strolling down the corridors to his office. “Oh, really? And what can I do for you, your Highness?”

       Another giggle from the child, “I want to invite you to my house!”

       Youngjae stopped dead on his track, “Wha-what?”

       “Would you come over and play with me?” Kibum said cutely, “Pleeeease?”

       Biting his lip, Youngjae had no idea what to do. Should he accept the invitation or make up a lame excuse? Either way, he’s hitting a brick wall. As much as he’s conflicted over choosing the ‘right’ choice, Youngjae couldn’t possibly resist the pleading voice of an excited child. And so he nodded, although Kibum couldn’t see it, “All right. Send me the address, I’ll come over after work, okay?”

       “Yahoo! Jae is coming over~” Kibum shouted.

       Youngjae laughed, “How did you managed to find my number and know it’s me?”

       A silence. Like the little boy was plotting something. And with an ‘innocent’ voice, Kibum replied honestly, “Well, it said on Daddy’s phone. Something, um, uh, it said… ‘Jae, My Lov-’”

       “OH, MY GOD, KIBUM!” Another voice interrupted, a man’s voice. Youngjae got scared by the sudden tone and also quite confused. Some shuffling, some whispers, some tiny yelps was heard over the line and a high-pitched scream broke out. “Sorry, Kibum, he’s-”

       And then out of nowhere, another screeching scream, “DADDY IS A MEANIE! I DON’T LIKE DADDY ANYMORE! I LIKE JAE! I WANNA PLAY WITH JAE! GIVE ME JAE!”

       “Kibum! BEHAVE. SOMEONE PLEASE TAKE HIM AWAY!”

       Quirking his eyebrow, Youngjae’s jaw slacked slightly open. He was very taken back at the chaotic situation over the line. The young CEO could barely tell who’s the kid and who’s the father; they’re both alike. But that didn’t stop the smile from etching across Youngjae’s face. He walked into his office and set the things he was holding on the desk.

       The line went dead silence for a couple of seconds. Then, the noises picked up again, and the mellow voice of a man seeped through. “Hello? Youngjae?”

       “Ah, hyung-”

       “I’m so sorry, that little brat just ran off with my phone while I was talking to my butler. I… I didn’t think he would call you. I thought he was going to call his Uncle Jackson, but… I’m really sorry if he bothered you. I know you’re at work and-”

       Youngjae chuckled amusingly. “No, it’s okay. I was done with meetings anyways.”

       “Ah… I see…” Jaebum said.

       And another silence. There have been a lot of silences since this whole phone call started and Youngjae was getting tipped over the edge. For some reason, whenever dealing with Jaebum, Youngjae was always the person who initiates everything. What’s even weirder is that Youngjae isn’t even that kind of person. He’s not smooth at all and has zero knowledge in socializing. Yet, Youngjae is fully putting himself out there. He honestly gave up on expecting Jaebum to make the first move. But that’s okay, Choi Youngjae could manage. Even if it means he has to fake confidence, he’ll do it.

       “So, could you send me your address?” Youngjae asked.

       “Address? What address? To where?” Jaebum questioned, clearly surprised and flustered.

       “Your house, hyung,” Youngjae laughed. “Kibum invited me over.”

       “WHAT?” The older male half-shouted. “I mean- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to raise my voice… But Kibum invited you?”

        “Yes, he did. You don’t want me to come over? I mean I won’t if you don’t want-”

       Quickly, Jaebum cuts in, “I’ve never said that. Of course you could, uh, um… Uh… Come over… It’s a Saturday after all… I’ll send you the a-address, or do you want me to pick you up? Because I could also do that, since I’m off today and got nothing else to do.”

       “No, no, it’s okay, hyung. I can drive myself. I need to go back home afterwards anyways…” Youngjae bit his lip, “Unless you want me to stay the night?”

       “H-huh?”

       Youngjae forced a natural laugh to avoid his own embarrassment, because what the Hell did he just do… ing Christ. Youngjae is helpless. Agonizing over his own ‘too forwarded’ words, Youngjae just want to jump off of the building or die somewhere. And the silence from Jaebum’s side wasn’t helping the case. Did he scared Jaebum off? Oh, God.

       “I’m such a disgrace,” CEO Choi mumbled under his breath, feeling the need to shoot himself.

       “Um… Youngjae,” Jaebum’s voice sounded a bit shaky, “If that’s what you want, you could, um, stay for the night…”

       “Wh-wh-what?”

       “We do have a lot of rooms here, so…”

       It’ll be sweet to just die right now, Youngjae thought. “I was just kidding.”

       And, of course, a silence. And with a much disappointed voice, Jaebum answered simply, “Oh.”

       Drowning in the taste of his own medicine, Youngjae couldn’t anymore. His entire body is heating up. He has to hang up, or he’ll slip and embarrass himself even further. “O-okay, you can send me the address and I’ll see you later. I have another meeting coming up,” Youngjae lied.

       “All right,” Jaebum said, “I’ll see you later.”

       Youngjae hung up. The beating of his heart was a clear melody in his ears. The strange feeling crawling under his skin set his mind on fire. His soft breathing wasn’t enough to will himself down. Youngjae swears that was the most calm and confident Im Jaebum had ever sounded.

~~~

       Nervous was an understatement. At this point, all types of emotion were jumbled up into a huge ball of hectic, rolling around aimlessly, obliterating everything in its path. Where is the Savior? Youngjae was on his own. Literally. He’s been sitting in his car for the past thirty minutes, unwilling to come out. He’s also rethinking if he should really be doing this. And also worrying over how he looks; he tried the ‘nice and casual’ style with his fringe sweeping over his forehead, with a lilac button-up and a beige cardigan over it, rolled sleeves up to his elbows, with just some plain khakis. Looking at himself in the reflection of his car door’s window, Youngjae started having doubts about his choice of clothing and hairstyle. The young CEO never thought he’d be this insecure about his appearance. Sure, he had heard gossips about him being unapproachable and whatnot, but those tedious conversations had never really affected him as much. But this does.

       “Should I have worn a suit instead? Isn’t this a bit too comfortable? What even,” Youngjae sighed. He looked over at the huge mansion stretching in front of his parked car. Compare to his penthouse, this mansion was remarkable. Of course it would be, the Ims’ fortunes are heritage. “I really should have worn a suit.”

       Ruffling his hair in frustration, Youngjae felt stressed out. He reached over to the passenger seat and picked up his phone, scrolling through his contact as he tried to find someone who could relief him a bit. Youngjae needs absolute assurance if he’s going to do this.

       “Hello?” The chosen person picked up after a couple of rings.

       “Hyungnim…” Youngjae sighed. “I need help.”

       Chuckling, Mark asked, “What is it?”

       “I… Right now, I’m in front of Jaebum-hyung’s house and-” Youngjae heard a crash on the other side.

       “…” Mark cursed under his breath. “Well, damn, Youngjae, I didn’t think you would move this fast.”

       “Stop it, I’m serious.”

       “Well, okay, Mister Chief Executive Officer, shouldn’t you be discussing this with someone of a higher position rather than a mere President?”

       “Hyungnim,” Youngjae deadpanned.

       Mark laughed, “All right. What do you need?”

        “I don’t know…”

       “If you’re asking me for advice, then I can’t help you. I’ve got less experience in feelings, even much less in feelings for a man, so…”

       Youngjae shut his eyes and balled his fist, “Some encouragement would be nice, hyungnim.”

       Mark sighed, “You can do this, Youngjae. Come on, I believe in you. Just be you. Stop trying to tough yourself up, kiddo. I know you’ve been doing that for the sake of CEO Im. Oh, and you do know he really likes you, right?”

       “Those are just rumors, hyungnim,” Youngjae muttered.

       “Bull,” Mark spat, “Anyways, whatever, I hope everything goes well.”

       “Thank you, hyungnim. Is Jinyoung-hyung there? How is he?”

       “Yeah, he’s here, I just picked him up an hour ago. He’s in my room right now, was crying earlier, but I guess he fell asleep now. And I’m trying to fry an egg, but I ed up, so I’m just going to ing order take-outs,” Mark grumbled tiredly.

       “I wish you luck,” Youngjae sympathized.

       “You’ll need it more than me, Youngjae.”

       “I know. I’ll see you on Monday, hyungnim.”

        With a final inhale of air, Youngjae nodded his head and wished himself luck. He finally stepped out of the car. His fingers shook slightly as they pressed against the button of the security system.

       “Hello, may I ask who are you?” A gentle, polite voice answered.

       “I’m Choi Youngjae. Jaebum-hyung- I mean, Jaebum-ssi in-”

       “Of course! Come on in. We’ve been expecting you.”

       “O-okay,” Youngjae staggered back a bit as the giant gate slid open. He walked in, keeping his hands close to himself, making sure that he’s not doing anything that could offend the household. He made it to the door, and immediately, it swung open.

       A man in a, what seemed to be, butler outfit greeted the young CEO with a flashing smile, “Hello, sir. Welcome to-”

       “JAE!” Kibum popped out from behind the door and ran out, jumping into Youngjae’s arms. Obivously, Youngjae caught the little boy with grace and a charming smile. “Where were you? What took you so long?”

       “Sorry, I got lost for a bit,” Youngjae smiled as he pinched Kibum’s cheek affectionately. “Did you miss me?”

       Kibum circled his short arms around Youngjae’s neck and cheerfully shouted, “I MISS YOU SO MUCH!”

       “God, you’re just as shameless as your father, Bummie-ah,” another voice appeared. Youngjae looked over at the doorway. There stood a tall man with a very handsome face. “Excuse the kid’s wild attitude. Hello, Youngjae-ssi.”

       Because of how good the man looked, Youngjae could feel his confident level dropping like water droplets. Who is this man? What is he doing here? Youngjae desperately wanted to know.

       And it must be obvious, because the man chuckled softly and proceeded to introduce himself. “I’m Kim Yugyeom. Jaebum-hyung’s-”

       “OH! HE’S CUTE,” someone else, a lean guy with a cute baby-face, materialized himself at the doorway next to the tall guy. “Hey! I’m Bambam, Yugyeom’s best friend and Kibum’s babysitter. You must be Youngjae-ssi. You’re really cute, by the way.”

       Youngjae slightly lowered his head in a curt bow, “Hello. Nice to meet you all.”

       “ANYWAYS,” Yugyeom rolled his eyes, “Before this rude walking stick interrupts me again, I’m Jaebum-hyung’s cousin. Does that make you feel less threaten, Youngjae-ssi?”

       “E-excuse me?” Youngjae titled his head. Apparently, it was a ‘cute’ gesture, because Bambam couldn’t stop squealing.

       “You were looking at me like I’m your enemy,” Yugyeom laughed, “I honestly got a little scared. But no worries. I’m related by blood with Jaebum-hyung. I won’t take him away.”

       The young CEO looked down at the ground in attempt to hide his crimson cheeks. Kibum took that chance and rewarded Youngjae with a kiss on his rosy cheek. The corners of Youngjae’s lips turned upward into a tender smile, swooning the three people who happened to witness, probably, the cutest moment ever. Bambam nudged Yugyeom’s arm and smirked.

       JYP didn’t want to interrupt, but they all can’t just stand outside the door like this. “Why don’t we come inside and I’ll have the maids make you some sweets? Do you like sweets, Youngjae-ssi?”

       Looking up, Youngjae smiled, “I’m personally not a huge fan, but a little wouldn’t be too bad. Thank you.”

       “My, my, you’re so charming and polite, sir. You don’t have to be,” the butler was impressed by the soft atmosphere that the young CEO Choi carries.

       “Please, just Youngjae would be fine.”

       “Gyeom, I like him. Can we keep him?” Bambam grinned, already planning something wicked.

       “Of course,” Yugyeom replied casually, “This will be revenge for all the time hyung had mistreated me.”

       They all took seats on the fancy sofas in the spacious living room. JYP had already disappeared into the kitchen. He returned shortly with two plates full of cookies and small pieces of cakes. A maid followed behind with a tray of fresh glasses of pink lemonade. Youngjae thanked the maid and butler and offered them a kind smile.

       “Look at him,” a hushed whisper floated around the open space, “He’s so attractive.”

       “And he’s so nice,” another whisper added on.

       “What a beauty! Where did Master find him?”

       “Have you not heard? He’s also a CEO-”

       “He looks so young!”

       “I heard Master said he’s a year younger. He’s so cute!”

       “Oh, my God. Look at the way Kibum is sitting on his lap. I swear this is the cutest thing ever.”

      “Young Master always talk about this ‘Jae,’ but I never knew who it was. So, this is ‘Jae.’ He’s so handsome!”

       Youngjae took a risk and slowly spun his head around. His eyes met with a room full of maids peeping and popping from corners and behind the walls. The maids zipped their mouth as soon as the subject of their praises caught them red-handed. Youngjae blinked, feeling awfully awkward. But being Choi Youngjae, he flashed a bright smile and greeted with a heart-wrenching “Hello,” which basically K.O-ed everyone in that room.

       “May we have some privacy? I know he’s beautiful, but Jaebum-hyung wouldn’t be too happy if he knows his loyal maids had their eyes on his… Friend,” Yugyeom chuckled. Hiding in their own embarrassment, the maids all excused themselves.

       Kibum picked up a cookie and held it up to Youngjae’s lips, “Here! Say ‘ah.’ It’s reeeeeeeally good.”

       Smiling, Youngjae complied and let the little child feeds him. “Mhmmm. It is good!”

       The little boy giggled as he picked up another one for himself. Youngjae reached out to wipe the crumbs off of the corners of Kibum’s lips. “You’re such a messy eater, Kibum-ah.”

       “Wow, you really like him,” Bambam observed and cracked a smile. “And he really likes you, too. Kibum is a hard kid to please. Yet, he’s sitting on your lap and even feeding you? He only does that to his dad.”

       Youngjae looked up at the duo, “Speaking of his dad, where’s Jaebum-ssi?”

       “Hyung is running some errands. He told us to keep you company until he comes back,” Yugyeom informed, hiding his chewing mouth behind his hand.

       “Ah…” Youngjae exhaled softly and went back to running his fingers through Kibum’s soft hair.

       “Are you missing Daddy?” Kibum asked, his doe eyes staring ‘innocently’ at Youngjae’s wide ones.

       Yugyeom almost choked on his cookie, and Bambam almost spat out his drink. The two of them knew Kibum is a sly little kid (and they blamed Jackson for it), but damn, that was straightforward. Even Bambam wasn’t going to attack the young CEO like that. Nonetheless, the look on Youngjae’s face was something gold and diamonds can’t even be compared to.

       “It’s okay,” Kibum Youngjae’s cheek, reassurance attached itself all over that small hand, “Daddy will be back soon, so don’t be sad. You’ll see him. Please, Jae, don’t cry, okay?”

       The room was still. No one said anything. Everyone was shook. And then there’s Kibum, who just went back to snuggling in Youngjae’s warmth and munching on his cookie like he hasn’t done anything shocking. If anyone is even more shocked, it’ll be Youngjae. His mouth dropped open and eyes staring at the child in his arms.

       “Well, that was awkward,” Yugyeom cleared his throat. “I’ll do the honor and add on to the pressure. So, um, Youngjae-ssi, how’s my cousin?”

       “Wha-what do you mean?” Youngjae regained his composure and turned questionably at Yugyeom.

       “He means what do you think of Im Jaebum,” Bambam kindly 'translated,' leaning forward in his seat, straining his full attention on the young CEO.

       Youngjae gulped. “Well, Jaebum-ssi is very nice and professional.”

       “That’s all?” The taller of the two raised his eyebrow.

       “What else do you want me to say?” Youngjae adjusted himself on the comfortable cushion of the sofa, re-adjusting Kibum to be more comfortable on his lap.

       Bambam giggled, “The maids didn’t crazily running around trying to clean the entire mansion for you to only have those remarks about our Jaebum-hyung. Everyone knows he’s nice and professional. Tell us something we don’t know.”

        At the subtle demands of the two youngers, Youngjae struggled to keep calm. He doesn’t know what to say. For some reason, words wouldn’t properly form on the tip of the young CEO’s tongue. The tension was building, and Youngjae just wants to run away from those expectant stares. “I… I-”

         “For the love of God, I’ve told you two to make him comfortable, not make him feel like he’s being interrogated for committing a murder,” Jaebum’s entrance was a blessing to Youngjae. “Hello, Youngjae.”

        “Hyung. . .” Youngjae looked up at Jaebum with grateful eyes.

       “Daddy! You’re back!” Kibum waved excitedly to his father, who’s making his way over to them, “Jae was missing you!”

       “What?” Youngjae’s eyes bulged out of its sockets, “No, I wasn’t-”

       Jaebum stopped walking and stared. Youngjae shook his head, desperately trying to explain himself. Bambam leaned back against the sofa with a satisfying smirk, while Yugyeom couldn’t contain his laughter.

       Kibum pushed forward like it’s nobody’s business, “Right, Jae? You were sad that Daddy wasn’t here, right?”

      “I’ve never said-”

      “You took so long, Jae was waiting,” Kibum pouted, “I’m mad at you. Daddy is a meanie! Daddy made Jae waited!”

       “Pft- Hahahahaha-” Yugyeom doubled over on the sofa, holding his stomach and throwing his head back, finding the situation awfully hilarious.

       Youngjae looked over at Bambam for help, but only to get a ridiculous grin as a response. So, last resort, since Yugyeom was busy dying, he turned to Jaebum, who was already looking at him. They maintained a long staring contest, ignoring everything else that’s happening around them. Jaebum was the first to snap out of it. He continued walking towards his son. Youngjae held his breath, as Jaebum scooped Kibum up from his lap. “Shhh. You’re a kid. Who taught you to say that?”

       Kibum turned away from his father’s gaze, “Hmph. Not talking to Daddy. I want Jae. Give me back to Jae!” Kibum reached out his arms to Youngjae, begging to be taken back.

       Bambam suddenly stood up and strode over to his best friend’s cousin. He swiftly took up Kibum with a proud smile, “Bummie-ah, let’s go down the kitchen and see what we’re having for dinner, yeah? Okay, good.” With screams and shouts of Kibum’s determined protests, a laughing Yugyeom and forceful Bambam successfully dragged the young master away.

       The living room was quiet despite the presence of two people. Jaebum took the seat that Bambam had sat, which is the closest to the single sofas that Youngjae was sitting on. “I’m sorry, those kids are a mess,” the older cleared his throat.

       Smiling with leisure, Youngjae shook his head, “It’s all right. Your cousin’s friend is a bit… But it’s fine. They’re cute.”

       “Did you wait long?”

       “No, not really,” Youngjae felt the scratchiness of his throat. The glass of untouched pink lemonade looked very seductive right now. He made a move to grab it, bringing the rim of glass up between his lips.

      “Did you really miss me?” Jaebum asked, voice barely above a whisper, but other than them, there was no one else.

       Choking on the sourly sweet, pink liquid, Youngjae’s ears clearly recorded every word. He cleared his throat as Jaebum quickly gave him a napkin. Wiping his mouth slowly, Youngjae tried to come up with something to counterattack that blow. Nothing came to mind. It drew a blank in the younger’s head. He could feel that pair of sharp eyes fixated on him, expecting a smart reply, but Youngjae honestly had nothing. Darting his tongue out subtly to his dried lips, Youngjae wished for a miracle.

       A sigh escaped through the lips of a certain CEO. Youngjae looked up at Jaebum. Why did he sigh? Was he disappointed? Is he mad? The questions weighted on Youngjae’s mind, cornering him to the edge of insanity. He’s going to fall.

       “You know, Youngjae,” Jaebum started, his head hung low with elbows resting on his knees and back bended forward. “There’s a lot of things I want to say, but I don’t know if I should say them.” Jaebum moved his head slightly, his eyes gazing at Youngjae.

       If Jaebum were sitting any closer, he would have heard the obnoxious thumping of Youngjae’s anxious heart. Avoiding Jaebum’s stare, Youngjae said, “Go on. I’m listening.”

       “These past five years were like a dream to me. It was torturous, but at the same time, quite magical. Kibum was one of the best things that had ever happened to me. Although his mother left without looking back, I still have Kibum. Five years ago, I was still upset and hurt over what she did. I really thought she was the one for me. I really thought we could be a happy family. But I guess not. She didn’t even want Kibum, our son,” Jaebum breathed out calmly, gathering composure over pouring emotions about the painful past.

       A thorn poked Youngjae’s heart, making it bleed slowly. He doesn’t know why Jaebum is talking about his past. There’s one thing Youngjae know, though. Jaebum really loved Kibum’s mother a lot. And if that isn’t a stab in Youngjae’s heart, he doesn’t know what is. But he can’t be feeling jealousy and sorrow when Jaebum is sincerely talking to him. He turned back to the damned reality, feeling bad for himself and hatred for that greedy witch. How could she?

       “So, as a single father, I’ve tried so hard to take care of Kibum, but as you can see, I’m also a CEO. It’s hard. Sometimes I felt like I’m such a horrible father. I wanted to spend more time with Kibum, since he only has me. But workload only increases each day, and I would forget promises I’ve made to my son. Kibum doesn’t show it much, but I knew he was upset and disappointed, because he had looked forward to it so much. I don’t feel accomplished as a father. I’m lacking so much. I…”

       This silence between them stopped the flow of time. Youngjae waited patiently for Jaebum to continue. There’s no rush. Everything could just go as its own pace. Or everything could just stop completely. Youngjae wouldn’t mind. He’s fine with just looking at Jaebum.

       “I’m sorry, I’m getting too emotional,” Jaebum scoffed and shook his head, “What I really wanted to say wasn’t that. I just got carried away. Um. A-anyways, I wanted to say that two years ago, I’ve met someone who changed the way I see life, you know, like I’ve been depressed over Kibum’s mother, and the world had been looking ty to me, but this person somehow managed to erased every painful things I’ve ever felt. And all I’ve ever done was look at them from a distance. Sounds creepy, maybe, but seeing them makes me feel so much better. The ways they move, converse, eat, or just standing there would drive me crazy, and I couldn’t stop looking no matter how bad I tried to. I really wanted to approach, but I couldn’t, because I was afraid of myself. Because of what had happened before, I didn’t want it to repeat again. But feelings don’t just stop. It keeps growing. And it only grows more violently when I started to get to know that person.”

       They’re both adults. They’re not dumb. It should be obvious who’s ‘this person’ that Jaebum was referring to. Youngjae couldn’t lift his head, suddenly found interest in the glass of pink lemonade that’s now probably bland with the strong taste of melted ice.

       “Youngjae, look at me,” Jaebum said softly.

       Slowly, Youngjae lifted up his head. Their eyes met in an electrifying wave of powerful unspoken words. Just from piercing into each other’s souls, they understood. The question is, who’s going to make the first move? Of course, the answer was obvious.

       “I think you’ve heard this many times,” Jaebum watched as Youngjae stood up from the sofa and took a couple of steps towards this side, “But I just really want to say that you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.”

       Youngjae sat down next to Jaebum; they’re facing each other with their eyes holding that longing gaze of warmth and something more. “And like this, you’re even more beautiful up-close,” Jaebum said. “Youngjae.”

       Responding to his name, Youngjae leaned in as his eyes prettily closes, closing the minimal gap between them. Lips pressing softly against lips. Racing hearts resonating in their ears. Feelings being put into the burning sensation of wistfulness and the purity of blossoming affection.

       Youngjae pulled away first, face red and eyes possess such gentleness that only directed towards Jaebum. His hands cupping the older’s face, thumbs caressing lovingly over those high cheekbones. Youngjae smiled shyly, “If you like me, then you should have told me sooner. If you like me, you should have talked to me sooner. If you like me, you should have make the first move.” Youngjae leaned in again and lightly leaves a lingering kiss on Jaebum’s lips, “But that’s okay, I don’t mind being the one to start this. As long as I get to have you in the end, I’ll happily do anything.”

       Placing his hand over Youngjae’s, Jaebum turned slightly and kissed the younger’s palm, “Can you stay tonight?”

       Chuckling softly, Youngjae shook his head, “I can’t. Not tonight. I have to home.”

       “Why? You don’t have work tomorrow.”

       “I’m embarrassed, just let me go tonight, Jaebum-hyung,” Youngjae ducked down, hiding his red face from Jaebum’s view.

       “Just Jaebum is fine, Youngjae-ah.”

       “Then, Jaebum, I can’t stay tonight.”

       Grabbing Youngjae’s chin between his fingers, Jaebum turned the younger to look at him. “It’s rare to see you losing your cool, when it’s usually me. You’re always the one who does all the flirting and initiating.” Jaebum beamed, “You’re so cute like this.”

       The blush adorned Youngjae face was even more relentless. “I guess… I’ve done my part perfectly; you’re taking care of everything from now on. I’m retreating. I can’t believe I’ve broke out of my bubble to sweep you off your feet, when you should have been the one who’s courting me. You like me first.”

       Pulling Youngjae closer, Jaebum pressed a kiss on his lover’s cheek, “Sorry, I didn’t think you’d accept a man with a five-year-old son.”

        Youngjae sighed, “Having a kid is a bonus. I love children.”

       “Yeah, I know,” Jaebum said, “That’s why I used Kibum to the full extent. Kibum was bait.”

       Youngjae pulled himself away from Jaebum with his jaw slacked open and eyes widening in surprise, “What? How could you? How could you do that to such an innocent child-”

       “Kibum? Innocent?” The father scoffed, “Please, since the day that little Devil met Jackson, ‘innocent’ isn’t even in his dictionary.”

       “Jaebum,” Youngjae disagreed, “Kibum is-”

       “Go to him then, if you like him so much,” Jaebum rolled his eyes, “And I thought our feelings were mutual.”

       “Stop being childish,” Youngjae sighed, “Of course I like you, but you shouldn’t-”

       Jaebum’s lips were enough to silent Youngjae. Smiling against the younger’s lips, Jaebum whispered, “I like you, too. A lot.”

       Youngjae pulled away giggling amusingly, “Saying that won’t make me stay, you know.”

       “Why not?” Jaebum pouted.

       “Reasons,” Youngjae winked and ruffled Jaebum’s hair, “But I’ll stay for dinner. Is that enough?”

       “Not really,” Jaebum bit his lower lip while staring at Youngjae, “But we’ll manage, Kibum and I.”

       “Okay! Then I’ll manage, too!” Youngjae wrapped his arms around Jaebum’s neck, facing his lover with the most gorgeous smile of a prince who has found his own happy ending.