" So what do you feel like doing?" Jr asked Theo once Thalia was gone, " feel like a movie?"

Theo shook his head,.

" What about a story?"

Theo shook his head, " uncle Jr can I talk to you?"

Well a foreboding start to a morning if ever there was one, Jr thought to himself.

" Yeah buddy, what do you want to talk about ?"

Theo took Jr's hand and led him to the couch, where the both of them took a seat. Theo's legs hanging off the floor.

" Do you like my mama?" Theo asked, serious as a button. And Jr wondered how he should answer this queston. It was a little strange having this discussion with a five year old. Actually it was a lot strange having this conversation with a five year old.

" Well yes, I like all of you," Jr said, deciding for the moment to take the question at face value.

" Ok, that's good."

" Why do you want to know bud,?"

" We don't have a daddy, " Theo explained.

Jr nodded sagely, " I know, ."

" Do you want to be our daddy?"

Well, that was straightforward. He hadn't actually hadn't thought about it, but sure he wouldn't mind being their daddy. He wasn't lying when he said he liked Thalia, and that he liked all of them.

" I wouldn't mind being your daddy, but you know your mama has to want me to be your daddy too right,?"

" I know,. So we're going to help you."

Well well well. 

Honestly what was he supposed to say to that. Thank you? I appreciate it? Should he ask how they were planning to help him. 

And should he even akcowledge that apparently even five year olds felt he needed help. Was he so off his game?

He decided to go with " thank you."

After that Theo decided that he wanted to read a  book. He read to himself while Jr got some work done on his laptop and the two enjoyed some quality quiet time, except for the few times that Theo would stop every few pages to ask Jr what a certain word was, or how to pronounce it. 

Which is how Thalia found them, sharing the couch, Theo with a book in hand covered by a small blanket and Jr sitting next to him, working on his laptop. Theo had a small cup of juice on a table next to him, and Jr had a cup of tea next to him. The way they were both twiching one foot absent mindedly and leaning back against the couch, one really couldn't be faulted if one thought they were father and son.

Thalia had to shake her head at the thought.

After Thalia came home Jr left, he kissed Theo on the head goodbye and then he kissed Thalia on the cheek, with the promise that he would see her soon.

Then he went to work.

Thalia and Theo were laying in bed, and Theo had a few questions to ask his mother.

" Mama, do you like uncle Jr?"

" Uh, yeah baby, why do you ask?"

" I like uncle Jr, Thad and Terry like uncle Jr too," he elaborated.

" I'm glad you like him, I know he likes you too," Thalia was not exactly sure where exactly this conversation was going. Apparently nowhere, because after that Theo decided he was hungry, and while he was having his yougurt, Thad and Terry came back from school, so the conversation though not forgotten, was dropped. To be continued another day, Thalia supposed.

As usual, after school, the children had a snack and then did their home work and then after that they were free to play, watch Tv or read a book, til bath and dinner time. And then it was bedtime.

Usually, Thad and Terry would park their bottoms in front of the Tv, and Theo would sit with a book or a puzzle. Or the three of them would attack a box of legos or a puzzle on the carpet.

Today though, they did neither. Today after homework, which was always done at the dining room table, so they could be supervised, instead of resorting to one of their usual vices, Theo dragged his brother and sister off to their room.

" I talked to uncle Jr today" he whispered conspirationally to his siblings.

" What did he say?" Thad whispered back.

" He likes mama, and he wouldn't mind being our daddy. So we have to help him, because mama has to want him to be our daddy too," Theo reported.

" How do we help him?" Terry wanted to know.

That had them all stumped,. How should they help uncle Jr?

In the end they admitted that they would probably need an adults assistance , to get help on helping uncle Jr.

" Who should we ask?" Thad wanted to know.

" Uncle Jb?" Terry suggested.

Thad and Theo shook their heads.

" No we should ask a girl, " Theo elaborated, " girls are better at this stuff."

Neither Thad or Terry asked exactly what " this stuff" was, and good thing too because Theo probably wouldn't have known how to explain it.

In the end they decided, or rather Theo decided and his siblings trusted his intuition considering he was the smartest, they decided that aunt Soo was just the person to help them.

" I'll go ask mama if we can call her," Theo said. He offered himself because his mother was more likely to say yes to him than she was to say yes to Thad and Terry, since they were still technically in trouble.

"You guys should probably get back to your punishment letters," Theo said as he walked out of their room to go find his mother.

Thalia gave him her phone though she was dubious as to his reason for wanting to talk to aunt Soo.

"She's pretty," was his reason, " she's very pretty, and she can play football."

Soo was torn, granted she wanted to help the kids, but she had a bet riding on this. But Theo was just too cute, how could she say no, so she said yes she'd help. And the first bit of advice she gave him was, make sure your mama and uncle Jr spend a lot of time together.

" Ok, we can do that, but how much time, " Theo wanted to know.

" A lot of time, as much as you can manage ok,"

" Ok. Thank you aunt Soo,. Aunt Soo, "

" Yes love, "

" You're very pretty."

Soo giggled, " thank you sweetheart, and  you are very handsome."

and then they hung up.

" I'm in cahoots with a five year old, " Soo said turning to face Youngjae. He raised one eyebrow at her, and so she explained.

" Wait don't you have a bet riding on this?" Youngjae asked mid explanation.

Soo sighed, " Yeah , I do, but I couldn't just say no, so if I happen to lose, have  a little mercy on me,. Hmm?"

Youngjae smiled evilly, " We'll see." And that was the only concession he was willing to give.

Taking aunt Soo's advice to heart, Theo asked his mother if he could sleep with uncle Jr again tonight, because uncle Jr felt nice. Thalia told him that uncle Jr might want to sleep in his own bed tonight, but if he came over then Theo could ask him.

Jr came over after work, so Theo asked him, and as expected, Jr was more than game.

It became a pattern, Jr would come over after work everyday, he would help with dinner, help with bath time, and he would read to the children, sometimes with Thalia, and then he would return to his own apartment. He was always back in the morning, sometimes early enough to help get the children ready for school , and sometimes just early enough to see them off to school.

One morning though, he was extremely early. He rang Thalia's doorbell an hour early.

" Hey. Is everything ok?" Thalia mumbled sleepily.

No everything is not ok, I have a  , I've had a for the last five nights, and I want you,. Is what Jr wanted to say. But he didn't say that, instead, he pushed her back into her apartment, wrapped his arms around her and walked her back to her bed, then he put her back in bed and got in with her.

She did not make it easy, she protested, argued, tried to stop him and even tried reasoning with him.

" Jr what's wrong? Jr you're being wierd,. Jr?. Jinyoung!!" full names always worked on her children,why not on him.

" Thalia, you really don't want me to answer that question," he said. He was slightly amused with both himself and her for the use of his full name.

" Yes I do, what's wrong."

In answer Jr sighed then took her hand and placed it on top of his clothed . 

" Oh, "

" Now scoot over, I want to sleep with you,. Please."

Her eyes flew up to his face. Sleep as in sleep?

" Sleep as in eyes closed, Thalia, we only have an hour before it's time to get the children up for school. So, much as I'd love to make love to you right now, I'll have to wait,. Because when we finally get around to it, i'm going to need a lot more than an hour."

" Oh."

That was all she said as she silently scootched over, making room for him in her small bed. The bed was small enough that for the both of them to fit, he was forced to spoon her. And he wasn't complaining. Spooning was exactly what he had come here for.