Ace's Wish
Woes Of A Twenty-Seven Year Old1: Ace's Wish
"Dad! Dad!" A small voice called out and Kris could feel somebody, most probably as little as a child jumping beside him. His eyes were barely open when the small boy splayed across his stomach, urging him to wake up and Kris merely groaned in response, lifting the boy from his body and sitting up as well, the boy now seated on his lap. "Finally! Dad, you should wake up earlier than this!" The boy with jet black flat and straight hair said, curling up in his father's arms and Kris felt warm inside, a smile appearing across his lips as he rubbed his eyes with a hand.
"Okay, okay, what time is it?" He asked and the boy scampered away from him and jumped off from his bed, Kris noticed how Ace was still in his bunny pajamas and chuckled to himself when Ace handed him the alarm clock from his nightstand.
"Dad, it's already nine!" Ace announced and hopped on Kris' bed again, jumping up and down on all fours as Kris looked at the time, telling Ace that it still wasn't that early and he wasn't as busy as he was in work anyways so he pulled up his blanket and dived back into his pillows, ignoring Ace's tugs on his covers.
"Dad, dad! Come on, you have to work! Dad!" Ace yelled and Kris smirked, covering his head with the pillow then turning his back on Ace whose face fell. Ace had always been like this since Kris started to bring him to his office because his nanny had retired and Kris wanted to spend more time with his son, so when Kris told Ace that he'd be going with him to his office, Ace was more than happy to wake up at dawn to wake up Kris.
"Daddy, please, come on!" Ace whined and mounted Kris' back, lightly punching his father's back in an attempt to wake him up and pull him away from his bed. Kris isn't lazy, he just likes to mess up with his son at mornings like this when Ace is very hyper... when was Ace never hyper actually? "Dad... wake up! Please!"
"Fine," he said and turned his body to face Ace again, he placed his hand around Ace's body and lifts him up on his shoulders. "Super Ace and Super Daddy on their mission!" Kris cheered as he swung his legs off the bed and Ace cheers too, holding onto his neck and his fist up in the air.
Sometimes, being a single father is nice, but at the same time, being a single father had given him a lot of woes too, it wasn't like he's complaining because Ace had always been a lovable son, everybody adores Ace but when he asks about his mom, Kris would look away and pat his head, telling him that the important thing is that they are together and happy right? Ace would nod in response, innocently brushing off the topic of his mom and how they never met.
****
"Zhang Yixing, I'm going to give you one more week okay? One more week to pay your rent or else," the lady in the neon pink dress looked around his apartment, her fat hands placed strongly on her hips. "Your apartment will be locked down and your clothes will be thrown off to the sidewalk. Did I make myself clear?" The lady asked and Yixing nodded his head nervously, his hands shaking on his back. The lady or his landlady smiled at him though it seemed more like to Yixing that she wanted to murder him or something with that smile on her scarily plump lips.
"One week, Zhang Yixing, one week." The lady warned Yixing and shook her index finger at him before walking out of his door, once the lady was out; Yixing immediately closed the door and leaned his back against it. Cold sweat was trickling down his forehead and his heart was beating really fast in his chest. Where would he even get money to pay three months worth of rent that he had failed to pay? Or, where would he even get a damned job? Yixing shook his head to brush off the memories of him being sacked from his job in the local noodle restaurant.
Also, he doesn't know where to stay if he fails to pay his rent. Lu Han stays with Minseok in their fit-for-two apartment and he doesn't want to burden Lu Han anymore, he had helped him enough anyways for getting him the job in the noodle restaurant that he lost a few days ago because of breaking too much plates and glasses. He pushed himself away from his door and plopped down on his rough couch. If he wanted to stay in his apartment, he needed to find a job real quick.
Yixing was never warned about how being an adult is too hard, even if he was already turning twenty seven this October, still, he hadn't learned the ropes of adulthood which was why his mother constantly worries for him too but being Yixing, he told her that he's okay and that everything was fine here in Seoul. Lies. Nothing is okay.
He fished out his phone from his front pockets, though old and battered, it was still handy and could still make proper calls and send text messages; he couldn't afford to buy a new one anyways. His finger slid over to the contact list and pressed a number, "Hello? Jongdae? Yes? I kind of like need a job right now, have openings?"
"Huh? Are you sure? This job is kind of tough, Xing, are you sure about it? You know how this job is."
"Yeah. Sure. Of course I am."
"Okay, meet you at two."
"Thanks."
****
"Daddy, when I grow up, will I be like you too?" Ace asked with his arms folded over one of the sofa's armrest across Kris' table, his lips were pursed into an odd way Kris had never seen before. He looked up from the stack of papers and bunch of folders in his desk then peered his eyes towards his son, he never saw this coming, little Ace asking him if he'd be like his dad when he grows up. Kris smiled softly before answering his son who started humming an innocent song.
"Maybe? It's your choice if you want to take over or not." Kris explained and closed the folder in his hands before walking over to Ace's sofa, he kneels down and Ace turns to him, his eyes wide and full of interest, what did his daddy mean about it being his choice? Wasn't he supposed to grow up like his dad? Wearing a crisp, smart suit, hunched behind expensive tables and stacks of papers? Right? Sons are supposed to be like their dads, right?
"You know, Ace, it's your choice whether you want to be like daddy or not." Kris reached out and patted Ace's head who nodded in response. "And also, you're too young to stress about this," Kris chuckled and ruffled his hair, Ace frowned, seeing how his dad messed up his hair.
"Daddy, I'm always too young. I want to grow up already." Ace whined and Kris could feel his heart drop, maybe he was scared, maybe he was nervous but all he knows is that he doesn't want Ace to grow up yet, he wishes for him to be his little toddler and be safe in his arms, he doesn't want Ace to face the tough reality, he wants Ace to live in a world of superheroes, magic, power rangers, nice people who always smiles back, he wants Ace to believe that it'd be fine, and that the world is a wish granting factory. But he knows that it's wrong, that one day, he needs to stop treating Ace like this and Ace needs to realize that the world is tough. But isn't it too early to be thinking about it? Kris shook his head.
"Don't say that, enjoy while you're still young. C'mon, let's go buy you some chocolate snacks!" Kris said and picked up Ace from the sofa, putting him on his shoulders and exited his office, careful not to bump his son's head on the ceiling.
When Kris exited his office (with Ace excitedly flailing his arms around on his shoulders), his staff and co-workers bowed and smiled at him, Kris smiled back and Ace waved at them, greeting them cheerfully with an Iron Man action figure in his hand. Kris swore that from the right side, he could hear malicious mutters and whispers from a group of women, he thought that they're probably talking about how Kris was a single father and all the rumours connected to Ace's mother. He didn't mind though, as long as it didn't affect Ace in anyway, he tried hard not to let such words affect him too, they were not worth his attention as long as they do their job properly.
Kris with Ace still on his broad shoulders reached the lobby and he finally put him down, soothing out the creases on his shirt made by Ace straddling him. "Chocolate cake?" Kris offered and bended, his hands on his knees to be able to meet Ace's eyes that glinted with much enthusiasm, he knew how much Ace is pretty much in love with chocolate cake and anything relating to chocolate, so this (he was sure) excited Ace from head to toe.
And he was proven right when Ace started jumping up and down, the Iron Man figure held tightly in his hand. "Of course! Come on dad! You know how much I love chococake!" Ace replied and pulled Kris by the hand to rush him up, with a small chuckle; Kris straightened up and followed his son out to the road.
Kris likes it, really, when Ace started forgetting about everything and focuses his attention on his chocolate or anything that he likes because he knows and he was reminded that Ace was still an innocent child that gets excited with small presents such as donuts or another action figure Kris would bring home from work or the gasoline station. It's the little things that make him and Ace happy.
They walk to the nearby bakery across the street with Kris constantly telling Ace to not cross the street when a car is passing, finally they managed to cross the streets, hand in hand and into the bakery where the bells chimed above their heads when Kris pushed the door open. The both of them were greeted by warm hellos and welcome from the staff. Kris returned a kind smile.
"Okay, what do you want?" Kris crouched down when they reached the counter where there stood a huge glass casing of different pastries, from cakes to croissants, from strawberry flavored to chocolate flavored sweets and desserts were displayed across the glass.
"Just the normal, the chococake and the umm... milk tea?" Ace stated and Kris nodded but stopped when he realized something. Ace likes milk tea? But he never remembered giving him milk tea before?
"Oh, Sehun hyung treated me milk tea once!" Ace answered as if he had read Kris' mind. He nodded again then straightened up to order. Sehun was like a little brother to Kris, his family was friends Kris' family and naturally, they'd become friends too even though Sehun was a little bit younger than him.
The cashier, however, shocked Kris with her unusual approach. "M-Mr. Kris W-Wu? One of the most sought after bachelors? Manages one of the biggest hotel chains in South Korea? Is that really you Mr. Wu?" The cashier stuttered, her hands shaking rather oddly as she finished speaking, Kris also took note of how she pulled up a piece of tissue paper and took out a pen from her apron's pocket.
"Indeed... that's me." Kris confirmed and he could bet anything that the cashier jumped in her place and internally squealed at this. Weird. Kris could bet again that this cashier was new and haven't seen him and his son before in this bakery.
"C-can you please sign this for me? I-I mean, it's for a friend!"
Kris looked down at Ace who had his back turned to him, he thought that his son was probably zoning out and staring into something he deemed interesting. For the first time in that hour, Kris had let go of Ace's hand to take the pen and tissue paper, scribbling his signature quickly.
But when he finished, and handed back the tissue paper to the squealing and odd cashier, Ace was not beside him, Ace was gone and the door stood ajar.
Ace was gone.
It took Kris a good minute before he stormed out of the bakery to follow his son. He couldn't have lost him, right?
****
His lower lip was jutting out, his hands were tucked neatly into his pockets as he walked out of the abandoned building which turned out to be the hideout of Jongdae's gang, apparently he was too weak, apparently he was too feeble to join them. If only he had grown a few muscles here and there like Jongdae, he probably had a job right now. His life , immensely and now he was desperate. He wanted a job, he needed a job, he needed something to feed him and now his stomach was growling really loudly and he knew he needs something to shut it up.
Maybe if he could just find an illegal (much more illegal than Jongdae's gang) and quick way to earn money, maybe he could be feasting upon a thick piece of steak right now then he would jug down a bottle of orange juice after, but he couldn't find an illegal job, or at the least, right now, he couldn't find an illegal job.
"Kitty! Kitty! Come back!"
Yixing looked up from his shoes and saw a small young boy probably about five to seven years old running towards him, he felt something run past his shoes and that was when he realized that the small boy was running after the cat. He turned his head to look at the fading color ginger of the cat then back to the boy who he stopped by the shoulders. "Hey little boy! Where are you going?" He asked and kneeled down to be in the same height as the boy.
"Oh um! The kitty, I think the kitty needs a home!" The boy flashed and innocent smile, pointing to the direction where the cat had went. Yixing tilted his head to the side, this is a dangerous part of the street, the cars were bustling busily and the drivers wouldn't care if they hit a cat or a little boy and nobody really knows whom they could trust or not.
"It probably has an owner, come on, let's go back to your mommy. Where's your mommy?" Yixing asked and taook the boy's hand in his as they start to walk away from the cat and from this part of the street.
"I don't have a mommy. Daddy. I only have a daddy, daddy says that as long as we are happy, I don't need a mommy." The boy explained, swinging his hands with Yixing's childhisly as they walked hand in hand. Yixing peered down at the boy, admiring him for not being to curious about his mother that Yixing hopes hadn't left him because the boy seemed lovable and adorable.
"What's your name?" Yixing asked.
"Ace! Ace Wu!"
"I'm Yixing, you can call me Yixing hyung. Wait, are you Chinese?"
"Oh yes! Daddy is! So I guess I am too?"
"Call me Yixing ge then!"
From that, as they walked together in search for Ace's dad, the both of them had gotten into a deep or rather a childish conversation and they get to know more about each other. Something about this kid kept Yixing interested and the more they talk, the more he wanted him to go back to his daddy because he seemed like a wonderful son though he's only five years old. Yixing too, inevitably started telling Ace about himself and that he was also Chinese in Seoul but that was it. Ace continued to talk and talk about his daddy and the kitty than he was following that lead to their meeting. In the midst of Ace's talk about senseless topics, Yixing learned that he was only living with his dad, and that he's five and that his dad works behind a huge table everyday and how his dad is amazing and how his dad is a superhero because everyday, he would let Ace to sit on his shoulders and Ace would feel like he's flying. Adorable. Yixing thought.
"Xing ge doesn't have a dad." Yixing spoke out of the sudden when Ace finally stopped explaining how his dad was heavy sleeper and how he'd always be the one to wake him up for work. Ace glanced up at Yixing as he tugged on his hand, he noticed the slight sadness that spreaded through the face of the older, dimpled man.
"It's alright, I bet you're happy with your mommy like how I am happy with my dad, right?" The little boy said which shocked Yixing a little, this kid was smart and understood this flaw in families in an innocent way. He couldn't help but wonder who could be the heartless woman that left this bright child?
Yixing nodded and patted the younger's head, just like how Kris would to Ace. "That's right, the thing that matters is that we're happy together, right? That's what your da--"
"Ace! Ace!" A taller man with dishivelled hair came running to him, his right sleeve was rolled up while the left one rolled down as he ran to them, his handsome features were full of definite worry and Yixing looked down at the child beside him who started waving towards the blonde man.
"Ace! What do you think you were doing?" The taller man asked and abruptly stopped in front of Ace, kneeling in front of him then pulling him into a tight, breathless hug resulting to Ace letting go of his loose grip on Yixing' hand. Yixing noticed the worry etched in the man's face who he had presumed is Ace's father, well, they kind of look a like too. "God, you worried so much!" The man pulled away from Ace and the kid smiled cheekily in response.
"There was a kitty and I thought of adopting him but then he ran away so I ran after him. Please don't worry daddy! Look, I made a friend, he's a nice person and his name is Yixing ge! We're actually looking for you, dad." Ace looked up at Yixing as he locked eyes with Kris who looked up at him skeptically, he wasn't blaming Kris for looking at him like that because if his son was holding hands with a random stranger, he would too.
"Xing ge, this is daddy! The one that I've been talking about!" Ace told as he tugged on Yixing's hand eagerly as if wanting to introduce the two grown-ups to each other. Yixing complied and bowed down towards Kris (Ace told him all about his father.) who bowed back to him. Awkward. The atmosphere was inexplicably awkward.
"Mr. Xing, thank you very much for finding my son, I-I mean... I don't know what could have happened to me if he lands to the wrong hands... really... really thank you so much." Kris said to Yixing as if he could've kissed him right here and then by how his eyes shone as he picked up Ace from the ground.
"Yixing. Zhang Yixing actually." Yixing told and with the slightest of smile, a dimpled smile appeared through his face which made Kris tilt his head to the side. "And it's nothing, your son is a very wonderful boy." Yixing complimented, winking at Ace who laughed with the Iron Man figure still held in a hand.
"Xingxing ge, join us to the bakery! We're getting chocake!" Ace said, wrapping an arm around Kris' neck while Yixing shook his head, though a chocolate cake would sound very nice to his growling stomach. "Right dad? Xing ge can join us, right?"
Kris smiled as he slowly nodded. "Only if he wants to." Kris looked at Ace then back at Yixing with a timid smile.
Well, anything was better than an empty stomach right now and hey, Kris and Ace were insisting right? "Oh um, okay," He replied as timid and as uneager as possible.
Their snack on the bakery was quite uneventful, unless one would count that one moment Ace smeared his face with a lot of chocolate and Yixing who sat beside him (since when he sat across Kris, Ace immediately wiggled out of Kris' side and slid beside him) wiped his face with Kris laughing at Ace, his gummy smile showing completely. There was also this one time when Kris looked completely astonished when Ace told him that he told Yixing a whole bunch of stuff about him, Yixing laughed in reply telling Kris that he shouldn't fret because it wasn't much of information really. So, time ticked just like that, Ace and Kris joking with each other and Yixing smiling at them all the while trying to fill himself with as much cake as he could. (It wasn't that he was an oppurtunist, he just needed to eat as much as possible because who knew when would be the lnext time he'd be able to eat as much as this?) It was already four o'clock in the afternoon when Kris realized that he needed to go back to his job and his small chats with Yixing were quite bland too.
"Ah, it had been nice meeting you Mr. Zhang... I mean, Yixing." Kris had said when they walked out of the cafe, the bells once again chiming above their heads when Kris pulled the door open. Kris smiled at Yixing who smiled back widely, his dimple completely distracting the blonde. "Really, thank you so much for finding Ace." Kris thanked him again which Yixing counted for like the 10th time today since they first met on the sidewalk. But in all honesty, Kris couldn't string the proper words together to thank Yixing for finding his son, there was an endless list of possible harsh happenings that could have happened to Ace in his mind as he ran and searched for his son, Ace was the only one he had left, he couldn't lose him, he could lose everything he had at this moment but not Ace.
"Mmm hmm, and your son is a very kind boy, he was chasing the kitten because he thought it needed a home, he's very um... clever." Yixing said in confident Mandarin when Kris started talking to him in Mandarin after learning his name. Now that this small meeting is done, Yixing was starting to wonder where he could go right now, should he go back home and perhaps maybe sleep and then it'd be all okay? Sometimes, he hated how his mother raised him into believing that the world was a wish granting factory when it really was not.
"Xing ge, can you please stay with me? I-I mean... maybe in dad's office? Because dad will be busy once we go back and can you play with me?" Ace asked with the slightest bit of cutesy in his voice that nobody could definitely resist and as if he was hypnotized and also because of the fact he had almost nowhere to go to anyways, he wanted to stay with Ace a little bit more. But that was when Kris burst their bubble.
"But Yixing has a lot to do, right? We don't want to bother Yixing anymore, right?" Kris cooed to his son whose face fell and nibbled on his bottom lip that was quivering, his eyes b with tears and Yixing wanted to hug little Ace and tell him that he'd be staying.
"No... no... it's actually alright." Yixing said which shocked Kris but his statement made Ace as cheerful as ever.
****
Kris had no idea what had gotten into him that he trusted his son to a dimpled stranger whose face turned really cherubic when he smiled despite the messy mop of brown hair and his shirt that was too low to the point that it showed his chest a little more than a normal shirt would. But the way how Ace's eyes had glinted with excitement when they entered the building and pulled Yixing away with him to the elevator, immediately, he felt a sense of trust creep up to him as Yixing smiled patiently to his son.
If Joonmyun or Sehun was here, Joonmyun would have punched some sense into him despite that angelic smile he always had on and Sehun would have rolled his eyes at him for being a , letting his son play with a stranger he had met no more than a few hours ago. Nevertheless, Kris didn't feel bad or anything when Ace was out of eyesight along with Yixing, he actually felt a sense of security which eased his mind and that let him focus on the last few paperworks he needed to fix and all those matters. He wasn't actually busy at this point of the day but he wanted Ace to be happy so be it.
Kris closed his laptop and pushed himself up from his swivel couch that Ace would enjoy playing and jumping on as Kris would push him around the office like a rollercoaster since he was too young for such rides and Ace got curious about rollercoasters after watching it on television so Kris put him up on his chair, telling him to hold on tight because the ride was going to start soon and just a second after Ace had hold on to the armrests, Kris started to push the chair, earning loud and excited screams from Ace.
He was about to exit his office when Ace came storming inside, pushing the glass door open with Yixing following behind, if Kris' eyes weren't failing him. Yixing was definitely panting. He kind of felt bad for the other man for keeping up with his son's activeness. "Dad! Dad! Are we going home yet? Can Yixing ge come with us again? We had so much fun! We ran around the garage and played tag! Daddy, tag was really a fun game! Had you ever played it before?" Ace started with a louder voice, his breathing was loud too. Kris looked at Yixing who simply smiled back in return before letting go of Ace's hand.
"Huh? Yixing? Come with us? Why'd you want that?" Kris asked as he kneeled down on one knee to meet his son's eyes. Okay, Ace was starting to be attached to Yixing who was still a stranger to Kris but most probably not to Ace anymore since he they seemed too close now. Ace smiled, his hands on his sides.
"Can Yixing ge be my nanny?" Ace said as if it was the simplest of all things.
"Nanny?!" Kris and Yixing blurted out at the same exact time, Yixing stood back a few feet away from Ace and Kris, his eyes wide with surprise and Kris managed to remain intact. "But... Yixing ge has a job, isn't that right?" Kris looked up hopefully at Yixing who gave an awkward smile.
"No that's not right daddy, Yixing is actually looking for a job, isn't that right?" Ace looked up at Yixing who nodded stiffly, trying to soften out his hard expression, Ace continued talking nevertheless. "So then, I guessed that maybe Yixing ge could work as my nanny and then we'd be both happy because Yixing ge would have a job and then he could stay with me! See daddy? In that way, you don't have to bring my to office." Ace explained smartly with a smile in his cute little face.
"Nanny...? Yixing... would that be fine with you? I mean I'd completely understand if you'd reject it," Kris started shyly, still a little unsure but continued to speak nevertheless, "I'd be glad if you'd agree but--"
Yixing would take what he could get. "Of course, sure, it's fine, I'd love it, really, honest."
***
He had a job. He had a place to stay. Everything was wonderful. Tomorrow, he'd move out of that stuffy apartment and move with Ace and his dad, Kris. He was happier than ever. After thirty or more minutes of Kris explaining the contract that was made on the spot, he told him that he'd pick him up tomorrow at his apartment just before he goes to work and from that day on, he'd take care of Ace and he would sleep in the guest room in their pent house, Kris would take care of his food just as long he kept Ace happy and everything was just going really smoothly.
Yixing couldn't believe his luck, who knew that bumping into a kid chasing a kitten would get him a job? And even better, a place to crash on and more free food! Ace was really something, but it wasn't like he was only staying for the shelter and food, he was actually staying too because of Ace and how the young boy was just definitely really lovable and adorable, and he definitely didn't mind taking care of the kid because the kid was never really obnoxious and loud, Ace was actually cheery and just happy every time.
But something made Yixing wonder, was being a father really like that? A father would easily comply to his son's want? Or was it because Kris actually needed somebody to take care of Ace? Whatever Kris' reason was to trust a stranger, he was sure that that reason got him a job and he'd never do anything to break his trust that was easily gained.
So Yixing stripped off his clothes and walked directly into his bedroom. Tomorrow, he'd be leaving this place... but before that... he needed to pay the landlady and he was glad that Kris paid him in advance, everything was going to be great. He could really just feel it.
After a few more minutes of stuffing his clothes inside his only luggage, Yixing didn't bother to put on clothes and immediately burrowed under his sheets, falling asleep with the thought of living with the kid and his inexplicably handsome father, not that he was thinking about Kris in that sort of way...
A/N: If you reached this part then props to you for reading 5K words of word vomit! IDK what to say omfg. I'm too excited about this fic so um yeah...
Comments