“Your father got hospitalized?” The way Jaejoong's shock-laced voice booms through the whole kitchen causes the toddler sitting in the high chair to stop poking at the small bits of food on his bib in order to stare up at his father with big, inquiring eyes.

It's almost as if he is trying to figure out whether he's done something which deserves a scolding from his Papa. When Jaejoong notices the lack of movements from his son, he immediately allows for a gentle smile to wash away the worry edged on his face, briefly leaning in to peck the toddler's forehead.

“No, I understand,” Jaejoong assures the babysitter as he proceeds to feed Yuuto. “Don't worry about it. Just make sure your father is okay, alright? And if you need anything, tell me.”

When Jaejoong bids goodbye to the babysitter a while later, Yuuto is smacking his lips in satisfaction after drinking from his favorite cup.

Jaejoong chuckles. “Is it good?”

“Good!” Yuuto replies enthusiastically and Jaejoong can't help but coo at his son before he bends down slightly to clean the toddler's face and hands, not forgetting to wipe down the high chair afterward.

Heaving a sigh as he thinks about the day he has ahead of him, Jaejoong places Yuuto's plate into the sink before turning around to look at his son. “Looks like you're going to see Papa's work place today, little tree.”

“Papa!” Yuuto claps before stretching out his tiny arms, jumping slightly in his seat. “Up!”

Jaejoong obliges and picks him up into his arms with a smile. “Let's get ready, hm?”

#

Letting out a subtle sigh of relief when the elevator finally empties as the other employees exit, Jaejoong manages to give his colleagues a tired smile as they wave Yuuto goodbye with the toddler waving back clumsily.

He has never been so glad to see elevator doors closing. Also, thank goodness that the CEO's office is on the highest floor where only the CEO himself, Jaejoong, the three senior executives and their respective secretaries have official access to.

Logically, he knew that stepping into the company building with a toddler was going to catch people's attention, but he never expected for every single person to turn around and have a look at his son at least once; producing an unhealthy amount of cooing noises whenever Yuuto does something which would be considered trivial coming from an adult. The walk through the lobby had been tiring, to say the least, with several colleagues approaching him and Yuuto to greet the toddler; offering him sweets which Jaejoong will make sure to hide from him once they are home because he will not risk for his son to get cavity or have a sugar-shock, thank you very much.

The elevator ride had been less spectacular since about everybody in there has seen and greeted Yuuto in the lobby already. Still, Jaejoong didn't like to have that much attention on his son and he's sure that if it hadn't been for his son's tendency to react to strangers with curiosity instead of fear; the toddler would have been bawling by now. He will definitely teach his son to be more wary of strangers once he can understand more, though.

Once they've arrived on the highest floor, Jaejoong carefully steps out of the elevator with Yuuto obediently holding onto his hand as he walks alongside his Papa in tiny steps. Jaejoong makes sure to stop whenever Yuuto wishes to do so to have a closer look at whatever he discovers on their way to the CEO's office; wanting to give his son the time and opportunity to explore the unfamiliar surrounding since they are not in a rush. Jaejoong always makes sure to be at least 30 minutes early for work, just in case.

“Alright, little tree,” Jaejoong says once they are standing in front of the double doors of the CEO's office, fixing his son with a mock-stern gaze as he crouches down in front of the toddler. “This is not our home, so we need to behave ourselves extra well, okay? We need to be more hush hush, alright?”

“Hush!” Yuuto nods determinedly, his brows furrowed as he tries to copy the stern look on his Papa's face because his Papa telling him to be hush hush always means serious business.

Barely being able to suppress a laugh at the adorable look on his son's face, the secretary leans in to ease the frown away with a peck to Yuuto's forehead. He then straightens his posture and knocks on the office doors.

“Mr. Jung, may I come in?”

The sound of something being written down on paper stops for a brief moment before reappearing only a few seconds after. “Of course.”

Taking a deep breath, Jaejoong pushes the the right side of the double doors open and steps into the office with a very curious son holding his hand and a wildly beating heart threatening to burst out of his chest. He tries to distract himself the best he can by looking at his son who is looking towards the CEO's desk before his gaze roams around the room with its luxurious interior.

Jaejoong notices how the sound of pen meeting paper has disappeared once more.

And he hopes, prays, that he hasn't misjudged Mr. Jung's character or predicted his reaction to the whole situation incorrectly.

Logically, Jaejoong knows that he has no reason to fear Mr. Jung's reaction. He has been working for the other man for quite a while now and never once did he get the impression of the CEO being anything else but compassionate, understanding and fair. And yet, he doesn't dare to look up at the other man as he greets him good morning; merely busying himself by watching his son as the toddler looks around with curious eyes, occasionally pointing at certain things with his free hand while tugging on his Papa's hand with the other one to get his attention.

And when the verbal reaction Jaejoong has been waiting for finally comes, it's merely a calm and gentle 'Good morning', nothing else. The tone in which the businessman speaks calms Jaejoong's nerves enough to make him look up and meet the other's gaze; subconsciously letting out a sigh of relief as he does so.

“I'm sorry that I haven't informed you beforehand,” Jaejoong apologizes. “But my babysitter called me this morning and told me about a family emergency she had to tend to and my parents are out of town. I would've called you, but-”

“But you couldn't because my phone was turned off,” Mr. Jung cuts him off gently; looking guilt-ridden. “I'm sorry about that. I forgot to charge my phone last night and didn't find the time to do so until I got here.”

Before Jaejoong can do anything else than giving Mr. Jung a look of understanding, Yuuto manages to catch his attention once more by letting out a hushed cry of astonishment.

“Papa!” The toddler calls out before putting his free hand over his mouth clumsily, obviously having remembered his earlier 'talk' with his Papa.

But then he looks back at Mr. Jung's desk once more and Jaejoong doesn't really need to follow his son's gaze to know what has caught his attention.

Jaejoong is well acquainted with his boss' office, partly because he has helped re-decorating it, and therefore knows about the small, wooden statue standing on the CEO's mahogany desk, depicting Yuuto's – and also Jaejoong's – favorite animal; an elephant.

“Would you like to see it up close?” The question catches both, Yuuto and Jaejoong, off guard and causes them to look up at Mr. Jung simultaneously; the twin movement and the similarity of their expressions causing the businessman to let out a small chuckle before he starts to tap on the statue lightly with his right forefinger while humming inquiringly.

Yuuto looks up at his Papa then, obviously asking for some kind of permission or affirmation that he is allowed to go there. And Jaejoong nods, slowly letting go of Yuuto so the toddler can approach the desk on his own with the secretary right behind him, with not even an arm-length of distance between them just in case his son stumbles or falls and needs him.

When Yuuto is standing right in front of the statue, Mr. Jung stops tapping on it and merely shoves it a little closer to the toddler, the smile on his lips widening when the toddler looks up at him and gives him a toothy smile. The little boy's attention is then on the statue once more as he steps closer so he can get a hold of the desk before he lifts his left hand tentatively. But before his fingers can touch the statue, the toddler halts to look back at his Papa inquiringly before his gaze meets the businessman's.

Seeing that the toddler is asking for permission, Mr. Jung nods encouragingly. “Go ahead.”

But the businessman's permission doesn't seem to be enough for Yuuto as the doe-eyed boy looks up at his Papa for the secretary's permission afterward, only reaching out to touch the statue after Jaejoong encourages for him to do so with a nod of his head.

Yuuto's touches are tentative, rather gentle as he caresses over the wooden elephant's back and Mr. Jung is convinced that the toddler's gentle approach has something to do with the way the boy was raised by his Papa. When Yuuto's fingers brush over one of the wooden elephant's tusks, the toddler pulls back swiftly before looking up at his Papa with an awe-filled 'Woah'.

Jaejoong chuckles gently before crouching down to be on eye-level with his son, gently settling down the bag filled with everything needed for a day with his son, before he points at what Yuuto has touched a few seconds before. “Tusk.”

The toddler tilts his head. “Tuh!”

“Tusk,” Jaejoong repeats patiently.

“Tuhs!” Yuuto says, nodding to himself.

Jaejoong nods in affirmation despite himself and presses a swift kiss to his son's forehead. “That's right, little tree. Tusk.”

“Does he like elephants?”

Jaejoong's lips curve up into a small, private smile as he turns his head to look over to where his boss is sitting. “Yes, I think my love for them influenced him quite a bit.”

The admission earns him a smile from Mr. Jung to which he replies with a brighter one of his own before both of their attention is back on the toddler who places a kiss onto his hand before pressing it on the statue's head; looking up at his Papa questioningly when the two adults chuckle at what he's doing.

“Papa!” Yuuto calls out and tugs onto his Papa's arm to get his attention before pointing at the statue with tiny smacks of his lips.

Jaejoong gives Yuuto a small grin before copying his son's earlier actions by gently pressing a kiss against his palm before placing it on the statue's head. The sound of gurgled laughter resonates within the office as Yuuto claps in delight, obviously pleased with his Papa.

“Wuv Phanti, Papa!” The toddler informs his father.

“I know, little tree,” the secretary presses a small kiss against his son's forehead. “And Papa loves Yuuto.”

The words earn him a grin of satisfaction from Yuuto and Jaejoong can't help but grin back, the presence of his boss completely forgotten. His secretary's momentary disregard for him doesn't go by unnoticed, but the CEO doesn't really mind; not when Jaejoong's attention is right where a parent's should be.

He briefly catches Yuuto looking at the large windows offering a view on the city before the alert about an incoming message from one of the head executives catches his own attention and causes him to tear his gaze away from Jaejoong and Yuuto as his secretary leads Yuuto towards where the toddler is pointing to.

Frowning at the content of the new message, Mr. Jung lets out a sigh which comes out louder than intended; something he realizes when his secretary's voice rings through the office.

“Is something wrong, Mr. Jung?”

Pressing his lips into a thin line, Yunho vaguely gestures towards his phone. “Mr. Lee's secretary was supposed to go to a big jeweler on the other side of the city and place an order meant as Christmas gifts to the company's employees, but she is still sick and if we don't place the order soon, it could be too late. She was supposed to get it done a while ago already but she couldn't. There is currently no one else here we would trust with such a huge amount of money besides you, so...”

As the CEO trails off with a an apologetic look, it starts to dawn on Jaejoong what his boss is trying to get at.

“Oh, I'll go. Of course I'll go,” he assures with a smile.

“I would go there myself, but-” Mr. Jung cuts himself off with a sigh as he gestures towards the folders on his desk, an all too familiar logo on the cover of the thickest one.

Jaejoong of course knows that his boss is currently having issues with one of their older partners. Nam Corp. has been one of their strongest allies for years until the old CEO stepped down and allowed for his son to take over. The new leader of Nam Corp. brought along new changes which are not always in the best interest of everyone involved depending on who you ask and Jaejoong has heard Mr. Jung and the head executives discuss about possible problems during the renewal of contracts with Nam Corp. a few months before the old contract was to expire and Jaejoong can't help but feel exhausted on their behalf considering the amount of contract adjustments and negotiations they had to put up with for weeks now.

“No, I understand,” Jaejoong says before looking at Yuuto. “I think Yuuto won't mind a small trip.”

“It's on the other side of town and you're going to get into a lot of traffic jams during these hours,” the businessman argues softly. “If you don't mind, you can leave him with me while you're gone.”

When the secretary merely looks at him warily, Mr. Jung is quick to give him a reassuring smile. “I have spent the past three years babysitting my niece on weekends and my sister never had a reason to complain before, so I guess I must be good at it.”

“I don't doubt it,” and Jaejoong means it. He has seen Mr. Jung interact with his niece before when the CEO's sister dropped by for a short visit or came to pick him up for lunch and the man had been nothing but gentle and patient with her. And he knows that while Yuuto does like traveling, he might get antsy sitting in a car for too long.“It's just-please wait a second.”

The taller man nods in return, merely watching as Jaejoong turns to focus on his son once more.

“Now, little tree. Papa needs to go somewhere for a while,” Jaejoong starts to explain, letting out a chuckle when Yuuto tilts his head questioningly as if waiting to be told more. “You know how you need to stay with Taeyeon noona when Papa goes to work?”

Yuuto gives him a toothy smile in response to the name of his babysitter being uttered.

“Today, Papa wants you to stay with Papa's boss for a while, okay?”

“Boss?” Yuuto asks. “Papa boss?”

The secretary nods before gesturing towards Mr. Jung, who is wearing a fond smile throughout the time. “Papa's boss, Mr. J-”

“Yunho,” the CEO is quick to correct.

“Uncle Yunho,” Jaejoong agrees easily, giving his boss a grateful smile before he looks back at Yuuto as the toddler looks at him with wide eyes.

“Yuuto?” The toddler asks as he points at the CEO, obviously very confused.

And it's not until Yuuto points at himself while saying his own name before pointing back at the businessman once again while repeating himself that the two adults understand what the toddler is so confused about.

“Oh it's not Yuuto, little tree. It's Yunho. Uncle Yunho,” smiling patiently as he tries his best to pronounce his boss' name as clearly as possible for his son, Jaejoong can't help but caress Yuuto's forehead upon noticing his son's subtle frown.“Uncle Yunho.”

The toddler listens to him intently before looking over to where Yunho is still sitting, his left forefinger now pointed at the man in question. “Unco Yunho?”

“Yes, little tree. Very good.” Jaejoong praises with a wide grin to which Yuuto replies with one of his own and once again, he can't help but think that yes, this is the pride of his life.”Papa will leave your toys here, okay? And all the yummy stuff you like.”

“Yum?”

“Yum,” Jaejoong confirms before he shows Yunho the bag he has packed in preparation for a day with Yuuto at the office. “Everything is in here. He tends to get a little cranky when it's nap time, his favorite elephant stuffed toy helps a lot when he starts to get agitated. He doesn't play around with his food that much in terms of throwing it around, but he will touch and spread it in front of him so it would be best if you fed him yourself. He is pretty good at drinking juice by himself, though. I've packed a blanket for him to play on and another one he can hug and-”

He stops short when he catches himself rambling out orders to his own boss, his cheeks turning red as he looks up at Yunho sheepishly although the other man doesn't seem to be the least bit upset about the lightly commanding tone and merely looks at him inquiringly as if wondering why Jaejoong has stopped talking.

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to order you around.”

To his surprise, the businessman merely chuckles in return, shaking his head dismissively. “This is your son we are talking about. You are the boss in this. Whatever you say, goes.”

Jaejoong hesitates for a brief moment as he looks right into the other's eyes and when he finds nothing but sincerity there, he nods in response before opening the bag to show it's content to Yunho. “I packed more than enough diapers for him and also wet wipes as well as plastic bags, but if there is something missing-” “I'll handle it,” Yunho assures before getting up to take the large blanket out of the bag to unfold and place it on the ground; not missing to give it a pat as he kneels down by its edge. He then proceeds to take the bag out of Jaejoong's grasp, taking out some toys to place them on the blanket and gesturing towards the items when Yuuto looks at them longingly. “Go ahead, Yuuto.”

Yuuto, growing excited by the sight of some of his favorite toys, takes tiny, rushed steps onto the blanket before sitting down with a squeal. His hands and attention are instantly on the toys as Jaejoong watches him with a healthy amount of caution at first. But the longer Yuuto plays without any care in the world, the more at east Jaejoong feels. And when Yunho reaches over to his desk to get a hold of the folders as well as his pen before adjusting his position to properly sit on the ground cross legged while facing Yuuto so he can have an eye on him, Jaejoong feels that things are going to be alright.

“I'm leaving now, little tree,” the pale man announces as he bends down to press a soft kiss against his son's forehead. “Be good, okay?”

The toddler squeals in return before busying himself with his toys once again and Jaejoong briefly catches Yunho grinning at Yuuto's actions before the CEO turns to face him.

“Take one of the company's cars and it will probably take you a while to get there with how traffic is, so feel free to stop and grab some food and beverages. Mr. Lee already sent you a message with the location of the jeweler along with the details about the order. Also,” Yunho then proceeds to take out his wallet before handing him the company's credit card. “Thank you, Jaejoong. I wish you didn't have to do it, and not today of all days, but it unfortunately can't be helped.”

“I understand,” and he truly does. After knowing his boss for a while now, Jaejoong has no problem believing that if circumstances were different, the CEO would find another solution. But it's about a whole lot of money and with Mr. Lee left with no assistance and barely any time to spare while the other two head executives as well as their secretaries are away on a business trip, Jaejoong remains the only one the higher-ups trust enough with such great responsibility.

His words earn him a smile from Yunho, to which Jaejoong answers with one of his own as he spots the genuine gratitude in his boss' eyes. Making sure to wave at his son like he usually does when he has to leave Yuuto with his babysitter, the secretary slowly makes his way out of the office; the last gaze he manages to throw into the room before the doors fall close behind him directed at his son.

Yunho catches the his gaze and smiles to himself as he remembers seeing it in his sister's eyes when she let him babysit his niece for the first time despite knowing that he is capable of doing so considering that he has pretty much helped raising his younger cousins as well as his younger sister.

He comes from a big family and as the oldest among his cousins, he has spent majority of his life looking after the younger children. So he knows that no matter how much people trust him with their children, they would always be a little wary of leaving their children with someone else; especially when that person has never looked after their children before.

“Your Papa is a little worried, little gentleman,” Yunho tells Yuuto with a smile, his hands already working on getting out a pack of orange juice, a plastic container filled with cut fruits as well as wet wipes. Although Yuuto does look at him briefly when he plops the straw into the juice package, he doesn't make any attempts to get a hold of it when Yunho places it down onto the blanket. “But don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you.”

The businessman then proceeds to open the plastic container and put it next to the juice where Yuuto has easy access to both in case he is thirsty or wants to snack on something and with Yuuto's whereabouts covered, Yunho wills himself to resume his work despite fearing the impending headache which he expects to appear after a maximum of two paragraphs into the contract he has to review.

#

Jaejoong leans back against the seat with a sigh; the sight of the long rows of cars in front of him worsening the anxiousness spreading under his skin. It has been a while since he last left his son with someone 'new' and no matter how much he trusts the people who look after Yuuto, he can't help but feel a bit nervous each time he leaves.

What keeps him from calling his boss non-stop to check on Yuuto as he waits for the cars in front of him to finally move is, for one, the fact that Yuuto obviously feels comfortable enough around the businessman to not protest at being left alone with him as well as his knowledge about the CEO's experience as a babysitter.

Looking to his right, Jaejoong allows for his gaze to wander along the sidewalk until he spots a family sitting in front of an ice cream parlor. He chuckles as the two children, seemingly twins, accidentally smear some chocolate ice cream onto their faces in an attempt to eat the delicious treat by themselves and it's not hard to imagine the joyous sounds coming from the parents as he watches their shoulders shake in laughter before they focus on one twin each to get rid of the stains.

Whenever he sees a family like this, he can't help thinking about the days when Yu, Yuuto's father was still around and talked to him about all the amazing things they would be able to do and experience as a family. Unfortunately, it never came to that.

A car accident involving a drunk driver has taken him even before he was able to witness his own son's birth and Jaejoong feels furious at the world on Yu's behalf for robbing him of the chance to experience what has to be the most amazing moment of Jaejoong's life. He knows that Yu would have been an amazing father for Yuuto just like he had been an amazing fiancé for Jaejoong himself.

And although Jaejoong still hates the world for taking him away way too soon, he has made peace with a life without the other man there. As much as he didn't want to when he first learned of Yu's death, he knows that he has to live on and treasure Yu's love the best way he knows how; putting all the love he had for the man as well as all the love he received from Yu into raising their son with love, patience and care.

Movement from in front of him catches his attention and Jaejoong starts the engine to drive forward as the row in front of him moves; only to come to a standstill a mere minute later.

He sighs.

This is going to be a long day.

#

Yunho has managed to review half of the contract in detail with the sound of toy blocks being stacked together as well as Yuuto's soft squeals of delight in the background when the toddler places his toys aside to crawl towards the juice and plastic container filled with fruits. Seemingly recognizing that everything is meant for him, Yuuto swiftly gets a hold of the pack of juice to drink from it enthusiastically.

At this point, Yunho has decided that his eyes as well as his brain are in need of some break as he gives the toddler his undivided attention. And despite the headache he's been sporting until a minute ago; smiling comes so easily to him as he watches the way the chubbiness of Yuuto's cheeks is emphasized with every movement he makes as he munches away on the fruits.

When Yuuto catches the businessman staring at him, he proceeds to take out an apple slice before offering it to Yunho. “Unco, yum!”

“For me?” Yunho inquires.

Instead of giving him a verbal answer, Yuuto merely shoves his hand closer to Yunho with the apple slice still in his grasp; a tiny nod accompanying the gesture.

Placing everything side, Yunho accepts the fruit with a smile. “Thank you, little gentleman.”

Yuuto's answering smile easily causes thoughts about past dreams to resurface.

With him coming from a big family, Yunho has always dreamed of having a big family of his own one day but gave up on that dream only a few months after he has taken over as the CEO of Jung Enterprise.

People wanted to benefit from all the perks of being with someone in his position, but no one seemed willing to share the burden it brings.

They were all eager to accompany him to public events in order to be seen, but not if it meant to also have critical eyes on them. Everyone loved to be acknowledged as his life partner in newspapers and magazines, but no one cared enough to stick around and try to solve misunderstandings when media wrote something negative about them. They craved the attention Yunho gave them and loved the way he took care of them, but couldn't be bothered to give him an ounce of comfort when the weight of the whole world threatened to break him.

And so, after one too many heartbreaks and disappointing attempts at dating, Yunho chose to give up and focus on his work instead.

But now, as he looks at Yuuto and thinks about how much joy the toddler obviously brings to Jaejoong, Yunho can't help but wonder whether he should give relationships and his abandoned dream another chance after all. The thought of finding someone as amazing as Jaejoong to love as well as having a child as sweet-tempered as Yuuto makes the prospect of risking to have his heart broken along the way seem more than worthwhile.

“Unco?” The toddler's soft murmur catches Yunho's attention once more as he looks up from where he's been staring into space to see what Yuuto is up to only to see the toddler offering another slice of fruit to him.

Yunho smiles but shakes his head in response before starting to rub his tummy with big gestures. “Uncle is full. No more fruits for uncle Yunho.”

Yuuto looks back and forth between Yunho's face and the hand that is rubbing his tummy for a while before he gives the offered fruit one last look and plops it into his own mouth. And that seems to be the end of Yuuto's snack time as the toddler stops eating and presses his sticky palms against each other a few times before he looks at Yunho with his hands outstretched.

“Are you full,too?” Yunho asks and tries to offer Yuuto another slice of fruit to see whether he would take some more but finds himself witnessing the most adorable and adamant shake of head by a toddler. Laughing quietly to himself, the businessman then takes some wet wipes and works on cleaning the toddler the best he can with Yuuto staying put and allowing himself to be cleaned.

With his past experience at babysitting as reference, Yunho can say with utter confidence that Yuuto is one of the best behaved toddlers he has ever had the pleasure of looking after and he knows how parents tend to be the main factor to determine children's mannerism from early on. He has no doubt that Yuuto can be quite a handful if he is in a bad mood, be it because he is overly sleepy, bored, in need of food or a change of diapers. But most of the time, Yuuto seems to be a very calm, sweet-tempered child and Yunho sees a lot of Jaejoong's character traits in him.

When he first hired Jaejoong as his secretary a little over a year ago, the other man had been struggling to get back to work while being the only parent to a nine months old baby and Yunho easily agreed to let him work six-hour shifts three days a week until he could leave Yuuto alone for a little longer. Yunho recalls having overheard Jaejoong talking to one of the other secretaries about how he has moved back to his parents for the time being to make things easier on them when they had to look after Yuuto while he was away at work.

He had sounded so exhausted and heartbreakingly guilt-ridden that Yunho, despite having more work on his hands than necessary because he had been working without assistance most of the time, decided to keep him as his secretary and, in a way, helped him through it.

And in return, Jaejoong helped him grow as a boss. He learned to pay more attention to the employees and their feelings, conflicts with colleagues as well as their stress-level and mental health. Apparently, Jaejoong has witnessed people stressing themselves over job-related issues in a worrisome manner one time too many and has decided to bring it up during one of their conversations and Yunho has felt indebted to him ever since.

Upon Jaejoong's suggestion, Yunho has issued a weekly team meeting for everyone as well as individual conversations between the employees and their respective team leader. After a conversation with the head executives, they have also decided to hire counselors who are available for spontaneous as well as scheduled sessions during working hours and up until now, there hasn't been anyone who abused the opportunity and used it to skip work for an hour or two instead of actually talking about their worries.

Several team leaders got back to him with words of gratitude from employees as well as stories about several employees voicing out that their stress-level has gradually lessened thanks to the many opportunities to talk which the company provided them with as well as the measures taken to improve things afterward.

Nowadays, majority of people actually like coming to work and it shows in their work performance; the improvement having been one of the arguments Yunho used to win over his head executives when he first introduced the changes as well as the plan of hiring counselors to them. Jaejoong believed that taking care of employees would have a positive impact on their work ethics and he had been right.

A fond smile graces his lips as he looks back at everything. Truthfully, most of the changes made in this regard had been suggestions coming from Jaejoong. Sure, Yunho was the one to bring it up with the head executives and was, and still is, also the one holding the position of the driving force in company-related decisions; but it was Jaejoong who provided him with enough information and alternative plans as well as answers to every question the head executives could have. While Jaejoong wasn't willing to present all of his ideas to the head executives himself despite Yunho's insistence; the CEO, with great pride, did make sure to credit the ideas to Jaejoong.

He wasn't going to let it all pass without making sure that Jaejoong received all the recognition he deserved.

Yunho lets out a chuckle as he remembers the amount of gifts Jaejoong received after it got around what he has done, every new gift he had to pick up at the front desk causing his cheeks to turn a darker shade of red.

Giving Yuuto's hands one last wipe, Yunho pulls back with a smile. “There you go, all clean.”

Yuuto, bless his little heart, actually claps in glee after inspecting his hands and gives him a toothy smile which soon morphs into an adorable, little yawn.

“Tired?” The only answer Yunho receives in return is a drowsy gaze as the toddler blinks up at him; the adorable sight easily pulling a chuckle out of him. “Alright, let me see.”

Swiftly going through the bag Jaejoong has brought along, Yunho takes out a small pillow as well as a stuffed toy which he assumes to be Yuuto's favorite one based on what Jaejoong has said earlier. He makes sure to place the pillow at the center of the blanket to minimize the chance of the toddler rolling off it accidentally during his sleep before he takes out another, much smaller blanket which Yuuto easily takes along with his favorite stuffed toy before he lies down on his own; chubby fingers clinging onto the items in his hands.

Yunho shifts closer to spread the small blanket over Yuuto the best he can before placing one hand on the toddler's side to give him a gentle pat; repeating what he knows to be a calming gesture for many babies until Yuuto is sound asleep.

It's not until Yuuto's breathing has evened out completely while his grasp went slack around the things he was holding that Yunho gives him one last pat before removing his hand with a smile. Despite not being a parent himself, Yunho learned a long time ago why some parents like to stay back for a little while after putting their children to sleep. There is something calming about seeing a child, especially your own, fast asleep with no care in the world. It offers a peaceful and grounding feeling.

Yunho then lets out a long-suffering sigh upon spotting the folders he has conveniently forgotten about for a little while. Keeping his eyes on Yuuto to ensure that he wouldn't stir awake because of any movement he makes, Yunho carefully reaches into his pocket to get a hold of his phone and open the camera. He doesn't need to worry about checking whether a sound or the flash would go off as he takes the picture, because he is someone to have every single app on his phone on mute and the flash of his camera deactivated. He smiles to himself as he sends the picture to Jaejoong with a small message.

#

Jaejoong has come to another standstill when he notices the notification for an incoming message lightening up the display of his phone. He takes another glance at the cars in front of him to make sure that none of them is moving before retrieving his phone from the passenger seat.

He starts to panic a little when he realizes that it was Yunho who had sent him the message and all sorts of horrible imaginations run through his head before he wills himself to calm down and actually open the message, only to find himself letting out a chuckle of relief as he comes face to face with the picture of his sleeping son.

Yuuto looks absolutely adorable.

'Well fed and safe in dreamland!' Says the CEO's message which is attached to the image and Jaejoong is more than grateful for Yunho's considerate gesture. He obviously knows about Jaejoong's worries.

The offensive honking sound coming from the car behind him makes him to look up from his phone and put it aside when he sees that the cars in front of him are moving and after a while of driving, it seems that the traffic is finally going its normal pace again.

Jaejoong is not a religious person, but he still makes sure to thank all the deities above for finally letting him get somewhere.

#

When Jaejoong returns to the office about two hours later, he expects there to be some mess for him to clean and a slightly fussy toddler to calm down considering that his son tends to crave his closeness after a nap. But what he finds instead is a perfectly happy toddler perched on his boss' lap as the CEO shows him pictures from a children's book as the two have settled down on the blanket in a perfectly clean room; the businessman's calm, baritone voice telling a tale Yuuto obviously likes listening to.

Instead of walking further into the room, Jaejoong finds himself standing in the doorway with a gentle smile; observant eyes taking in everything unfolding in front of him.

Although Jaejoong has seen the businessman interact with his niece before, it had mostly been during fleeting encounters where the CEO either left with his sister and niece not long after their arrival or Jaejoong left them to their family lunch after helping Yunho's sister setting up the food.

Being able to witness Yunho interacting with a child in length is admittedly mildly fascinating.

While Yunho is an amazing boss and also overall a good person, Jaejoong has seen him mercilessly tearing down arrogant business associates during negotiations often enough for it to be a constant reminder of why Yunho's father has chosen him as his successor instead of Yunho's older brother.

So being able to see this side of him, all smiles while changing the pitch of his voice to match whatever character's part he's reading out loud to entertain his son, in depth is mildly thrilling.

There is a glowing kind of warmth surrounding the CEO and when he roars after reading out how one of the characters has done so, Jaejoong doesn't think he could grow any fonder of the other man. It's then that he gives himself away by laughing along to his son's enthusiastic squeals and draws the attention of both, Yunho and Yuuto, on him.

Matching bright smiles tug at the corner of their lips the moment they spot him standing in the doorway and the sight somehow tugs at his heart in an odd, but not unwelcome way.

“Papa!” Yuuto scrambles out of Yunho's lap to storm towards his father and Jaejoong automatically rushes forward to protect him from a possible fall but soon realizes that Yuuto is already in good hands.

Yunho had been quick to place the book aside in order to get a hold of Yuuto instead, holding him up and guiding him onto his tiny feet safely. His hands still hover in the air as Yuuto moves further towards his father, just to make sure.

“Papa,” Yuuto repeats in a mumble as he presses himself against his father, little hands clinging onto the fabric of Jaejoong's shirt.

He looks the most content Yunho has seen him all day.

Jaejoong presses a swift kiss against Yuuto's head before looking up to meet Yunho's gaze as the two of them share a smile. “Has he been good?”

“More than good,” Yunho praises with a grin when the toddler turns to look at him. “He's been a perfect little gentleman.”

Jaejoong smiles down at his son proudly before Yuuto starts to tug at his arm, the toddler's free hand gesturing towards Yunho. “Papa, unco! Papa!”

Deciding to indulge his son, Jaejoong allows for himself to be led towards his boss, who is still sitting on the blanket looking fairly amused. It's only when Jaejoong is kneeling by the edge of the blanket that Yuuto lets go of him in favor of making his way towards the book the CEO has placed down earlier. Tiny hands wrap themselves around the item as Yuuto shows it to his father.

“Papa! Unco!”

“Did uncle Yunho read you a story?” An affirmative hum as well as an enthusiastic nod of Yuuto's head is what Jaejoong gets in response before he slips off his shoes and moves closer to his son, and by default, also his boss.

“It's one of my niece's favorite books,” the CEO says fondly. “I think she knows the story better than I do by this point.”

A small smile dances across Jaejoong's lips as he takes a closer look at the book his son is still holding, remembering all the times he's seen it in the grasp of slightly smaller and more delicate hands.

“Unco?” Yuuto tilts his head inquiringly as he places the book on the CEO's lap.

Yunho chuckles. “Do you want me to continue reading?”

“Plees,” Yuuto pleads with a nod, his politeness earning him another kiss to his head by his Papa.

“Alright,” Yunho agrees easily as he shifts to sit closer to Jaejoong as his secretary lifts Yuuto up onto his lap, the toddler now safely nestled between his father's arms as tiny fingers play around with Jaejoong's hands absentmindedly. Big, expectant eyes look up at him and Yunho automatically clears his throat to ready himself for the task ahead.

Next to him, Jaejoong can't help but smile fondly at the amount of effort his boss is willing to put into entertaining his son, nor can he help himself from noticing the grounding scent of the CEO's perfume once again. It's a rich, yet not overwhelming scent which Jaejoong has caught himself being drawn to several times in the past.

The thought drives a good amount of redness onto his cheeks as he finds himself shifting slightly, the small movement earning him a questioningly look from Yunho to which he replies with a shake of his head as well as a small, reassuring smile.

Soon, Yunho's familiar, husky voice fills the room with short imitations of characters from the book breaking through the string of calming narration every once in a while. Jaejoong doesn't know where the sleepiness comes from, maybe it's just the effect of his boss' voice or the comfortable feeling of having his son cuddled into his arms, but he finds himself growing more tired with each passing second and before he knows it, he's fast asleep with his boss' voice lulling him into dreamland.

Yunho stops mid-word when he feels his secretary's additional weight on his shoulder and casts a look the other man's way only to find both, Jaejoong and Yuuto, fast asleep.

The sight startles a small chuckle out of him and he finds himself more surprised by the fact that Yuuto is able to fall asleep again so soon after his nap than by his usually energetic secretary seemingly running low enough on energy to fall asleep during work time.

Normally, he shouldn't allow for his employees to sleep when they are supposed to be working, but one could argue that these are no normal circumstances and Yunho thinks that with how stressful the day has been for Jaejoong so far, his secretary deserves some rest.

Placing the book aside, Yunho adjusts his position to maneuver Jaejoong so the secretary can lie down sideways with his head cushioned by Yunho's thigh; all the while keeping one hand under Yuuto's head to support it until he can place the toddler's pillow as well as his bundled up blanket underneath.

He takes in the sight of their peaceful expressions as well as the small, content smiles tugging at their lips and the longer he watches them, the more he feels like he is re-discovering a long-lost dream. There is something; a small fragment of what could be which makes him feel warm and thoughtful all the same.

And when he decides to go back to work a while later, carefully balancing the papers on his other thigh so he wouldn't disturb Jaejoong, he finds himself thinking that maybe...

He smiles.

 

 

end.