Hyukjae is just returning to his office from a meeting when his personal phone begins buzzing in his pocket. Shutting the door behind him, he lays his briefcase down on the corner of his desk and reaches into his trousers. The caller ID displays the number for Youngjae’s kindergarten downtown. He glances at the clock. It’s nearly one. Youngjae shouldn’t be getting home for at least two more hours.

Frowning slightly, he slides the bar at the bottom of the screen to answer the call. “Hello?”

“Hi! Mr. Lee Hyukjae? This is Youngjae’s teacher.”

“Is something wrong?”

“Youngjae was playing at recess this afternoon and collapsed.”

“What!? Is he okay?”

“He’s fine,” the teacher rushes to correct. “But it seems as though he’s caught a cold and a fever. I wanted to notify you that someone should be arranged to take him home early.”

Hyukjae turns to look at the mountains of paperwork piled high on his desk. His sister, who usually picks Youngjae up at two, was still working at her law firm. Her next break was at one-thirty. He didn’t want to bother her since she was currently in the middle of a case.

Snatching his coat off its hook on the wall, Hyukjae is already locking the door behind him and walking towards the nearest elevator. “I’ll come get him,” he says determinedly. “Can you tell Youngjae that daddy is on his way?”

“Sure thing, Mr. Lee. See you in a few.”

Hyukjae shrugs the thick woolen fabric over his shoulders and retrieves the scarf stuffed in one of the sleeves. Digging out his car keys from the pocket, he tightens the scarf around his collar and pushes the down button on the wall next to the elevator. Taking a deep breath, he inhales the scent of his son on the scarf. Youngjae had given it to him for Christmas a few months ago. It was a gaudy, red color with green Christmas trees at both ends. Sora had told him that Youngjae had picked it out from a street vendor one day as she took him home.

Smiling at the memory of his son’s gleeful face as Hyukjae told him that the scarf was the best present he had ever received, he enters the now opened elevator, leaning against the far wall. His smile fades.

He’s always tried to be a good father. He was a young, up-and-coming businessman who had gotten too serious with a girl before thinking about the consequences. She got pregnant, and once Youngjae was born, she split. Hyukjae however, fell in love with the baby boy as soon as he held him in his arms.

As a single parent, Hyukjae tried his best to solely provide Youngjae with an abundance of love and affection that would make up for the lack of a second person in the boy’s life. Thankfully, his sister had agreed to help raise her nephew so that Hyukjae could work double shifts. Recently promoted, he was busier than ever.

He still tried to make time for his son, and now, especially when Youngjae needed him the most, he would be there.

Hyukjae’s walking to his car in the garage and turning the heat up as soon as he’s inside. No wonder Youngjae was sick. The temperature had dropped rapidly overnight. Hyukjae had been sure that the boy left with his jacket, hat, and gloves this morning.

Twenty minutes later, Hyukjae is pulling up to the kindergarten. He checks in at the front desk and waits as Youngjae’s class is contacted via intercom.

“We’re coming back from the infirmary now!” the same voice from the phone call earlier replies.

A few seconds later, Youngjae comes trudging out into the lobby of the school, his black hair messy and his eyes puffy and red. He’s dragging his Avengers backpack behind him.  When he sees his father standing there, his tired eyes light up and he drops his backpack to run into Hyukjae’s arms. The man crouches down to embrace his son in a warm hug, the five-year-old’s hair soothingly.

“Hey, little man. How are you feeling?” Hyukjae asks into the hood of Youngjae’s winter jacket.

“Tired,” the boy mumbles back, tightening his grip around his dad’s neck.

At the sound of approaching footsteps, Hyukjae lifts his head and is greeted by the person he assumes is Youngjae’s teacher. Red and purple paint is splattered on his jeans and T-shirt as well as in his hair and on his nose. Must have been art time.

For a moment, Hyukjae and the other man just stare at each other, their eyes wide and confused. Hyukjae feels the tips of his ears get hot, and the teacher is sporting his own blush across his cheeks. The latter wipes blindly at his face as though to remove the paint there. He smudges the mark on his nose.

And Hyukjae continues to stare. Something stirs inside him. Something that had dissipated the moment his girlfriend left him.

Clearing his throat, the teacher bends over to pick up Youngjae’s discarded backpack. Youngjae also lifts his head and looks back at the brunette brushing dust off of the bag.

“Look, Mr. Hae. My daddy came today!” the boy exclaims before breaking off into a coughing fit. Hyukjae rubs his son’s back and coos at him until he clams down. He easily lifts Youngjae onto his hip and stands up, offering a hand to ‘Mr. Hae.’

“Lee Hyukjae,” he introduces. “Thank you for letting me know about Youngjae’s condition.”

“Lee Donghae,” the brunette returns, taking Hyukjae’s hand. Both flinch at a spark that shoots up their arms. Hyukjae blames it on static electricity. Donghae accidentally drops the backpack at their feet. Regaining his composure he adds, “And it’s no problem, really. Just doing my job…. Um…Mr. Lee—“

“Hyukjae.”

“Hyukjae. I need to go back to my kids—don’t want them making too much of a mess—but it was nice to finally meet the father of one of my brightest students.” Donghae smiles and something in Hyukjae comes alive.

“It’s nice meeting Youngjae’s favorite teacher as well,” he flatters, unable to control himself. He shifts a now sleepy Youngjae in his arms so that the boy’s head rests comfortably on his shoulder. He mirrors Donghae’s smile with his own gummy version and drapes Youngjae’s backpack over his other arm. He nods his head in goodbye, his eyes never leaving the brunette’s.

He’s just turned to go when…

“Would you like to get coffee with me sometime?” Donghae blurts. His face is now bright pink, and he feels hot and nervous all over.

Hyukjae stops and grins to himself. Carefully reaching into his coat’s inner pocket, he retrieves a business card without disturbing Youngjae. Turning back to Donghae, he places the card in the brunette’s hand and squeezes his fingers gently.

“It’s a date.”

***

A/N: Just a little something fluffy and sweet. Hope you like it!

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