Prompt: donghae is kindergarden teacher who teach hyuk's son, while hyuk is a bussiness man who is busy but still care so much about his son. usually the one pick his son not hyuk, but for wathever reason (could be his son is sick, or no one can pick him up or else), but for that one time hyuk is picking him and then he met donghae and there's a spark and on and on and on... i would really love to read it

***

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.”

***

“So Donghae,” Hyukjae begins, stirring his coffee with a thin spoon. He’s resting on his elbows, leaning forward with his chin propped in his unoccupied hand. He smiles. “How did you get into teaching?”

Across from him, Donghae is playing absently with his napkin. His coffee mug sitting in a saucer is empty and forgotten. Lifting his eyes to meet the latter’s, he returns Hyukjae’s warm smile. “I always loved kids. Always wanted one or two. Never really had a big family. I was the youngest. But I volunteered at a nearby library where I tutored elementary school kids after my classes. I graduated and followed the girl of my dreams to Seoul and pursued a degree in education.” Donghae’s face softens.

“Thought I was going to marry her.” He laughs. “I’m a bit of a hopeless romantic.” He’s back to fidgeting with his napkin. “We hadn’t really done anything together other than hug and hold hands. We were just a couple of kids ourselves. When I finally worked up the courage to kiss her, I realized that maybe I had been wrong all along.”

Donghae blushes and starts tapping his fingers against table. Hyukjae reaches over and covers the brunette’s nervous hand with his own. He squeezes lightly. Donghae relaxes.

“When it occurred to me that I would probably never have a family of my own, I steeled my resolve to work with kids. I finished my degree and job-searched until I found the position at Youngjae’s kindergarten about two years ago. I really love it there.”

Hearing Donghae talk so fondly about his past—both the good and bad—makes Hyukjae only adore him more.

“How about you and Youngjae, Hyukjae?” Donghae pipes. “If you don’t mind me asking,” he adds quietly. He intertwines their fingers on the table, the corners of his lips twitch in a shy smile.

Hyukjae squeezes Donghae’s hand and nods. “It’s fine. There’s not much to tell. Almost six years ago, Hyeri and I were dating, and we didn’t use protection. Nine months later, I’m standing alone in a hospital with this little bundle of joy in my arms. He’s…Youngjae is my everything. With my job the way it is, it’s hard finding time to be ‘daddy.’”

Now it’s Donghae’s turn to reassure. He covers their already connected hand with his other one and leans forward, getting Hyukjae to look at him. “Youngjae talks about you non-stop. He really loves you. You’re doing just fine with him. And you’ve even been picking him up and dropping him off more often lately.”

Hyukjae chuckles and finally finishes their hand pile by blanketing his right hand on top of Donghae’s and starts tracing circles over the brunette’s knuckles. “Does it make me a bad father to admit that part of the reason why I’ve been coming by the kindergarten recently is to see you?”

Both men feel their hands sweating and their cheeks flush with color.

Donghae swallows hesitantly before answering in a small voice. “No.”

Hyukjae grins and tugs Donghae close enough to kiss him. 

***

Expanded a little bit just for you guys! :)

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