Hello my beautiful people ❤
I can FINALLY publish this shot story I've been working on for two months! It was supposed to be a one-shot and to come out during the week of Youngjo's birthday for this amazing Fest me and Deya decided to organize BUT my life got too busy (good busy) so, being the perfectionist I am, I needed more time to make sure I was 100% satisfied of it. Fun fact: I worked all summer long as a babysitter and I just couldn't take this idea of a Rawoong AU in which one of the two was a babysitter so this had to be my quote for the #RVFanficFanartFest2023 !! I truly hope you'll like it, I'm working on 4 unpublished longer stories at the moment and I can't wait to show them to you all so, please keep an eye on my Twitter account not to lose any update ❤
I want to dedicate this both to Youngjo and to Hwanwoong since their birthdays are close to one another but also to Deya who helped me give life to this small but very happy and beautiful fest! Also, thanks to B. and F. for their ENDLESS support, Ily ❤
#HappyBirthdayRAVNFromJjonyangdan #RAVN #RVFanficFanartFest2023 #RVFanfic
Please, let me know what you think in the comments and don't forget to leave kudos or to put this story in your bookmarks if you want to support me! I also feel like reminding all of you that I'm not a native English speaker so, I apologize in advance for any grammatical mistake or weird sentence, feel free to bring those to my attention, I will be glad to learn and improve ❤ If you don't want to miss any updates, or you simply want to chat, you can follow me on Twitter (@likeasky21) ❤
⚠️ This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, business, events and incidents are the products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. ⚠️
***
"Are you sure he has experience with kids?" Hwanwoong insisted, getting off of his scooter.
"Hyung, for the thousandth time, he's Gunhak's cousin!" Dongju sighed out of frustration.
Hwanwoong grabbed his helmet along with his two shopping bags from the back of the scooter, keeping his phone to his ear in between his neck and shoulder. "I know but I think he should-"
"They grew up together! He has a degree in media arts and he's a freelance producer. He was simply looking for a job and you need some help with Minji-ah or you'll end up-"
"Okay, okay, I get it! I know I do..." He pulled his keys out to enter his apartment. "...but you also know how hard it's for me to put my trust into anyone else right now." He walked into the elevator, deep in thoughts. "Minji might not like him or think that I don't want to be with him."
"You'll explain to him! You need this job but you also can't leave your son alone in the house all day long. You just have to explain it to him, he's your clever baby after all! He'll understand, uncle Dongju knows it!" Dongju reassured him over the phone.
Hwanwoong smiled exiting the elevator, feeling thankful to have a best friend like Dongju. He would have never expected to see a young man waiting for him in front of his apartment's door: he was wearing some very stylish yet comfortable clothes, a pair of grey joggers, an oversized olive green jacket and a black bucket hat. He was sitting on the stairs beside the door as he was wearing a big pair of headphones and he stood up as soon as he noticed the doors of the elevator were opening. Hwanwoong was so taken aback by the other's presence he subtly panicked, suddenly swearing at his best friend in his own head because the other must had told said Gunhak's cousin that he could have come over on that day without warning him.
"Hello! You must be Hwanwoong! I'm Kim Youngjo, Gunhak's cousin!" Youngjo smiled, walking closer to the host of the house, and that was when Hwanwoong realized both how tall the other was in comparison to him and how breathtakingly handsome his face was.
"Watch out!" Youngjo exclaimed, catching Hwanwoong's phone before it could hit the ground. "Do you need a hand?" He asked right after, slowly looking up at the other.
Hwanwoong didn't even have time to reply, his shopping bags were already in Youngjo's hands as well as his phone, leaving him with his helmet and his apartment's keys only. He was speechless. He had just met the guy and he had already managed to make a fool of himself.
"Well, I guess you can ask him yourself if you got any doubt now. Byeeeeee!" Dongju laughed by the phone right before hanging up, his best friend could hear it from afar.
"T-Thank you." He stuttered, tightening his grip around his helmet before it slipped from his sweaty hands as well. "Nice to meet you yes, thank you for coming..." He welcomed the other inside right after, leading him to the kitchen so that he could have dropped the bags somewhere.
"Where can I put these?" Youngjo asked as if he even wanted to help him arrange the groceries.
Hwanwoong wondered how come his best friend hadn't also mentioned his boyfriend's cousin was that handsome and polite but he would have talked about it with him very soon.
"Oh, it's okay! You can just leave them there, I'll arrange them later!" He distractedly replied as he realized how untidy his house was: clothes along with Minji's toys were everywhere to be seen, his son's crayons were scattered all over the carpet in front of the TV, not to mention the dirty dishes in the sink or the empty delivered pizza cartons that couldn't fit the trash can. "I'm... I'm sorry for the mess my house is right now." He looked down, trying to arrange at least some space on the kitchen table to offer the other a glass of water.
Youngjo smiled again and the host of the house couldn't help noticing how cute his eyes became when they curved up as he did: "No problem really! I do have a house too and Gunhak told me you needed a hand in anyway so, let me at least save these ice-creams from melting!" He insisted, holding up the two pints of caramel and chocolate flavoured ice cream.
Hwanwoong sighed in defeat, that guy was being too kind not to oblige: "Y-Yes, of course, the refrigerator is right there, behind you." He pointed at it and the other was quick to find it.
"Ah, Hwanwoong-ssi! Is this your son?" Youngjo suddenly asked, noticing the picture of Hwanwoong and Minji hanging on the fridge. "He looks so cute! I can't wait to meet him!"
Hwanwoong was arranging the cans, showing his back at the other and he couldn't help feeling that very familiar weight on his stomach at the idea Youngjo was talking as if he were his new baby sitter already. He took a deep breath before he found the courage to speak up: "He is, his name is Minji and it has been just the two of us since he was born. That's the reason why you will have to excuse me if I'm not being as enthusiast as you were expecting me to be at the idea I'll leave my five year old son with a stranger all day long from now on. It'll take some time."
"I wasn't expecting anything different from this, Hwanwoong-ssi, I love kids since I worked in a kinder garden when I was in high school as a part-time job so, when Gunhak and Dongju told me that a friend of theirs needed a hand with a kid I was more than happy to help." His eyes were sweet when Hwanwoong met them again. "Dongju told me today was your free day and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for you and your son to get to know me. I can imagine how hard it must be for you to put your trust in anyone else right now but, I'm here and you can ask me about everything you want if that will make you feel more comfortable. Gunhak knows about my years of voluntary service at the local church and he told me you were searching for someone trustable, that's why they thought about me, but of course you'll judge!"
Hwanwoong was already torturing his fingers without realizing. He was glad the other was at least very open and available to questions, it was indeed relieving for someone like the blond: "Please, have a sit then, Youngjo-ssi, and tell me if you'd like a coffee or anything."
"I like coffee, thank you and, please call me Youngjo, I think we're around the same age!" He took a sit at the kitchen table and Hwanwoong started searching for his coffee machine.
"Oh, yes, I'm thirty, what about you?" He asked as he was switching the fire on.
"I'm actually older then! I'm thirty-three, I'm sorry I figured you were older..." He looked down wearing a sheepish smile. Hwanwoong found it so endearing he couldn't even get annoyed at the fact the other had just assumed he was three years older than he was.
"H-Hyung then, how much sugar do you want?" Hwanwoong had failed in his attempt not to stutter again and he couldn't help swearing at himself and for being such a gay late bloomer.
"Two, thank you! I know it's a lot but-"
"No, same here! I actually love sweet drinks, don't even let me start about bubble teas!" Hwanwoong smiled like a mirror in front of Youngjo's sweet laugh. He had to admit the atmosphere was kind of relaxing around the other. He poured some coffee for the both of them. "So, hyung, can you tell me a bit more about you, your life, your interests, your experiences?"
"Do you want me to tell you my MBTI as well?" Youngjo laughed again, and Hwanwoong really couldn't help blushing because the other had just made it all sound like a speed date. "I'm sorry! I was just kidding! My friends always say I'm way too flirty sometimes!"
"Well, I know, I'm totally everyone's type but, calm down!" Hwanwoong bit down at his own tongue the moment he realized he had spoken without thinking as if he were the confident person he wasn't. The other was kidding and he had taken the joke too far with his clumsiness as he always did: "Now, I'm the one who's sorry... Please, just, answer the other questions!"
There was a different glint in Gunhak's cousin's eyes when he replied: "It's ENFJ by the way." Hwanwoong was unable to hold the other's gaze and he opted for taking the last sip of his coffee, feeling glad when the other kept talking instead of him. "I have a degree in media arts. I'm working as a freelance producer while working from time to time to pay my rent. I loved music since I can remember and that's why I decided to dedicate my life to it. I used to have good grades in school and I was in the drama and in the music clubs. I do have lots of hobbies like painting, dancing, singing, watching movies. I have a dog, I love kids and- oh, I'm sorry I didn't want to talk so much about me! What about you, Hwanwoong-ah?"
Hwanwoong's mouth was hanging open as the other was speaking. Firstly, he was wondering where the other had found the energy and also the time to do everything he had just mentioned. Secondly, he could see such passion and enthusiasm in the other's eyes as he was talking about his interests he kind of wished to keep listening to him. Maybe it was contagious and it would have influenced Hwanwoong too who always seemed to be so tired at the end of the day. "I'm..." His phone suddenly rang, his alarm reminding him it was dinner time and that Minji wasn't home yet. "Oh, my God. I have to go get Minji." He stood up, rushing towards the door. "You can come along if you want! He's been spending some time at my neighbour's apartment! She's an old friend of mine and she was so kind to look after him for so long but she's about to leave for Europe for work and I didn't want to bother her anymore with my son."
"Oh, I'd love to meet him yes! Let's go!" Youngjo followed him in a blink of an eye and they simply had to walk towards the next door on the same floor to ring the bell and wait.
"Papi!!" Minji of course was the one who greeted them and he quickly jumped at Hwanwoong. "I missed you so much!!" He added, hugging him tight when his dad bent down for him.
Hwanwoong couldn't help smiling while holding his son's minuscule body in his arms: "Baby, your papi missed you so much too! Did you behave with Sunny today?" He asked as his friend reached the door too.
"Let's just say the city is safe for today too thanks to this baby superhero!" She laughed, looking down at the kid and that was when Hwanwoong realized his baby was wearing a black trash beg as if it were his very own superhero cloak. "He has been a good boy today as well!"
"Thank you so much, Sunny, I truly have no idea what I would have done without you!" Hwanwoong felt like repeating once again as he lifted Minji up. "Oh, this is Kim Youngjo!" He said when he noticed his friend was staring at the other. "He's going to take care of Minji from now on! He's Gunhak's cousin, do you remember Dongju's boyfriend?" He explained, noticing Minji was staring at the other guy as well now.
"Oh, I see! Nice to meet you and thank you then!! Hwanwoong-ah, you know you can always count on me anyway right? It's a pleasure for me to spend some time with Minji!" She smiled.
"I know, I know, thank you so much-"
"Who are you?" Minji asked, pointing his tiny finger to Youngjo like the curious cat he was. "Are you one of Papi's friends? He doesn't have many friends, I've never seen you!"
"Minji-ah..." His father sighed at the way even his own son seemed to make fun of him.
"Hello, Minji-ah! You must be the greatest hero in town!! My name is Youngjo and I'll be your trusted assistant from now on, can I help you solve all the crimes and save the city?" Youngjo sweetly told him, speaking in such a calm but warm way Hwanwoong was even more taken aback as his son who simply threw his hands in the air at the news.
"Yaaaaay! Now I have a sidekick too like Batman!!" He slightly jumped up and down out of excitement against his father's chest. "Papi, that's so cool! Papi! Papi!"
Youngjo couldn't help smiling at how cute Hwanwoong's son was. "Yes you can count on me!" He reached out slowly to gently mess up the kid's hair which were so precisely cut as if someone had put a bowl on his head to help himself. "It's nice to meet you, Minji-ah!"
"Papi! Can I play with Youngjo hyung, please?" He immediately turned towards his dad.
How was Hwanwoong supposed to say no to those sweet dairy eyes? Maybe that could have been the perfect chance to see how Youngjo would have acted with his son and check on him. "H-Hyung, do you have anything planned for tonight? You could stay for dinner and we could... keep on discussing the details for your... I mean for your help." He didn't miss the mischievous look Sunny gave him without the other noticing.
"Sounds perfect to me! I was free anyway! Perks of working as a freelancer!" Youngjo replied.
"WELL, I guess I'll leave you three now then! Do call me if you need anything, okay? Bye!" Sunny suddenly said, quickly closing the door to leave them.
Hwanwoong moved his head to bid her farewell since his hands were busy while trying not to blush at the implication his old friend had just expressed regarding him and his new babysitter. Youngjo followed him and he was already talking to Minji as they came back to his apartment.
"So who's your favourite superhero, Minji-ah?" He asked, his eyes filled with curiosity.
"It's my Papi of course!! He's my superhero! The bestest of all!" Minji happily replied, hugging his father's leg because he had just pulled him down.
"Honey, it's the best. The 'bestest' doesn't exist! I love you so much..." He caressed his son's head. "What do you want to eat for dinner? I think I should be able to make some hamburgers!"
"Hamburgers yes!!" Minji started jumping up and down out of joy.
"You remember the rules right?" He immediately asked when they all reached the kitchen.
Little Minji snorted: "I know I know... No getting near the fire! Can I play with hyung?"
Hwanwoong found himself once again envying his own son for being such an extrovert soul. He made sure to find some kind of sign of approval in Youngjo's eyes before replying: "Yes! You can show him your toys while I'm cooking, okay? Be kind to him!" He added while wearing his green apron. "Ah, Youngjo! Are hamburgers okay for you too?" He timidly asked.
"Oh, I eat everything really! You're free to cook anything you want." Youngjo replied as Minji was grabbing his hand to lead him to the living room.
Hwanwoong ended up making very good hamburgers, checking from time to time how things were going in between Minji and his new babysitter. His kitchen corner and the living room were connected so he could clearly see his kid animatedly explaining all about his toys adventures in the worlds he had built along with his dad. All the tension Hwanwoong had been feeling in his heart had suddenly disappeared to leave a slight relaxation instead, as if he weren't alone, as if he had found someone who might had taken care of Minji when he had to work.
"Hyung, will you... Will you be able to come every day from Monday to Saturday during my entire working hours?" Hwanwoong felt like asking as soon as they had eaten their hamburgers and Minji was brushing his teeth. "I work in a café so I'm there from early in the morning to the late afternoon. I know that might be bothersome for a part-time job but Dongju told me your usual pay and I wanted to ask you if we could stick to the same amount." He started cleaning up the table. "I'm sorry for the way I greeted you, thank you for coming today."
"What are you apologizing for, Hwanwoong-ah?" Youngjo stood up to help him wash the dishes. "Gunhak told me you're colleagues so, I already knew about the time you might had needed my help. I'm truly available and that's perfect to me so you can count me in starting from tomorrow!" Hwanwoong tried to keep him away from the sink but Youngjo shook his head. "Please, let me help you, there's no problem for me and you can just focus on Minji-ah."
"Thank you, hyung. Seems like we do have a deal after all." Hwanwoong said, holding his hand towards him.
"Yes, we definitely have a deal, Hwanwoong-ah." He smiled as he squeezed the other's hand and that was the moment Hwanwoong also realized how big the other's hand was. He quietly sighed, hoping he wouldn't have regretted that choice in the future.
***
Hwanwoong was definitely regretting his choice but in a very different way from what he had been expecting. Youngjo was... He was perfect. There weren't other words to describe the guy. A week had passed by in a blink of an eye, and the anxiety Hwanwoong had bottled up every day during work before coming back home had simply dissolved at the sight of Youngjo's smile when he opened his apartment's door. Minji was happy to have a new sidekick for his games and Youngjo had managed to keep everything tidy in the house as well. He was truly perfect and that was something Hwanwoong was starting to struggle with because it had been such a long time since someone had made his heart flutter he hardly remembered how to handle it.
That day was a Saturday and, as every other Saturday, the café had been full of clients until the very end, making Hwanwoong stay longer than he should have to clean everything up. When he finally came back home he couldn't believe it was almost dinner time. "I'm home..."
"Papi!! You're finally here! It's almost dinner time!!" Minji immediately ran towards him.
"Hey, is everything alright?" Youngjo asked with a truly concerned face. "You're late indeed."
Hwanwoong sighed, finally taking off his shoes. "I know, I'm sorry... It was crazy today. I thought I would have never made it out alive I swear. I'll pay you for these extra hours don't worry. You can go now if you..." His vision went suddenly blurry and he held onto the wall beside him for a very scary moment.
"Hwanwoong-ah!" Youngjo's voice reached his ears at the same time as his big hands kept his body steady by holding his arms. "How can I leave you like this!? You look so tired..."
"It's Saturday night, hyung, I'm fine, I'm just a bit tired, that's all. You should go have fun or something rather than staying locked here!" The host of the house insisted, and it was suddenly clear to Youngjo why Minji had told him all about his dad being a superhero all day long.
"Let me cook for you two at least..." Youngjo looked so honestly concerned the other could do nothing but accept the other's offer. "I'm free this evening, I can totally help you!"
Hwanwoong nodded. He definitely didn't want to end up making the same mistake as that one scary night. He took Minji's little hand to let him drag his dad towards the kitchen as he couldn't help staring at the long white scar crossing the kid's hand all the way towards his elbow.
He had promised himself he wouldn't have let anything like that happen to his baby ever again. "Thank you, hyung." He gave the oldest a tired smile. "Can I... Can I go have a shower?"
There it was, that sweet glint in Youngjo's eyes the host of the house had noticed from time to time and for reasons still unknown to him. "Of course, I'll be right here with Minji, right baby?"
Hwanwoong's heart skipped a beat when his tired mind made him think the other had just called him 'baby' all of a sudden. He definitely needed to have a shower and clear his thoughts. When he got out, he felt much better but he was so hungry he didn't even dry his hair in order to head straight to the kitchen. A beyond tasty smell was coming from it and Youngjo was putting down the dishes as the blond was stepping inside. "How are you feeling..?" He asked. "I hope you like rice omelette! Minji told me he wanted some so I thought he deserved a reward for being such a good boy today." He grabbed some ketchup from the fridge. "Take a seat."
Hwanwoong turned towards Minji who was quietly playing with his cars. He was about to call him out for dinner but Youngjo was already on his way to the kid.
"Are you hungry, buddy? I made you rice omelette!" Youngjo calmly said to him and Minji jumped at him to hug him tight, as tight as the knot that suddenly formed in his father's heart.
"Hyung!! You're the best in the world!" He happily said as the other carried him to the table.
"Do you want to decorate it with Papi?" He softly asked, giving him the bottle of ketchup.
"No! You decorate it with Papi! I decorate mine!" He firmly stated before pushing Youngjo against his dad who was already holding a spoonful of both omelette and rice.
"O-Of course, baby! Hyung, let's do it!" He stopped right before putting it in his mouth, and he quickly placed it down to make the dish look whole again, as if he hadn't just ignored the other's conversation because of if own hunger.
Youngjo laughed and the blond thought he had never heard such a loud and heartfelt laugh. "Hwanwoong-ah?" He called the other's attention again, and Hwanwoong realized he had been spacing out for a moment. "What shape do you want to draw on yours?" He was close to him, closer than he had ever dared with Hwanwoong, and he was speaking softly, the same way as he usually did with Minji. How could Hwanwoong be jealous of his own son for such a reason?
"A tiger... I love tigers." He spoke before he could stop himself.
Youngjo smiled, bending a little to draw the shape of a tiger on the yellow golden surface of his perfectly cooked omelette over the rice. "A tiger for this tiger then..." He kindly said while creating a very cute drawing, ignoring how Hwanwoong had stopped breathing for a moment. "Tah-dah! Do you like it? Minji-ah, do you like it?" He asked and Minji was more than happy to jump right in between them to take a better look of it. "It looks like Papi, right?"
"Oh, yes! He's a tiger superhero!" He happily jumped on the chair. Then he stopped, as if an idea had just occurred to him. "How do you know, hyung? Are you his boyfriend?"
Hwanwoong choke on his saliva all of a sudden: "Minji-ah, that's enough, eat your omelette."
Minji pouted: "Papi! You told me the only people who know your true identity when you're a superhero are your sidekick and your lover! I'm his sidekick, so you're his boyfriend right? Am I right, Papi?" Hwanwoong was desperately staring at the table in front of him. "Papi?"
"Minji, I said that's enough!!" Hwanwoong raised his voice without even realizing, his face was burning hot out of embarrassment and he couldn't stop thinking that Youngjo was right there listening to his son talking nonsense about them in front of him. "Minji-ah..." He sighed, noticing his kid's eyes had gotten big and tears were already gathering inside them. "I mean..."
"Minji-ah! That's all my fault!" Youngjo suddenly laughed, patting the little one on his back. "I'm not your papi's lover and neither his sidekick, but since we see each other every day I discovered his secret identity by chance! That's how I know about it, you know what I mean?" He asked, as calm as he always was, and Hwanwoong started wondering how could he do it.
Minji nodded, swallowing back his tears the moment he understood he had simply discovered something new about the superheroes' world thanks to Youngjo hyung: "I see! Papi is clumsy!"
Hwanwoong was about to defend himself but the other's laugh along with his kid's filled the room and he had no heart to break that moment. Youngjo had chosen to draw the shape of a cat while Minji had been able to draw a spider like Spider Man. They finally ate and it was so good Hwanwoong was sincerely impressed by the other's cooking skills. "Hyung, it's so good!"
"You think? It was like the second time I made them actually but Minji asked me to cook them after we saw it in an episode of Pokémon!" He told him as they were all eating.
"Pokémon? I should have figured..." He smiled. "Sometimes I don't know who loves them more in between me and Minji-ah! I'm honestly worried about myself sometimes..."
They both laughed: "Same here... You haven't seen my plushie collection!" Youngjo said.
"You haven't seen mine..." Hwanwoong whispered to himself.
"You collect them too? Really?" Youngjo asked with such a rush of enthusiasm it shook Hwanwoong off his thoughts. He thought he had whispered, but he had said it out loud instead.
He looked down, feeling his ears on fire: "I'm... Y-Yes, but it's just-"
"Can I see it? I love these kinds of things but I never met anyone who would share this passion of mine!" Their eyes met and Youngjo realized he might had crossed the line. "Oh, I mean... If you want, of course. If you don't want that's completely fine!"
"Oh, yes, Papi let's show him!!" Minji stepped in to help his new favourite sidekick.
Hwanwoong sighed. He was proud of his collection, but he was aware it was a rather childish hobby and that was the reason why he couldn't help feeling shy at the idea of showing it to the other, even if he had just told him he shared the same hobby. "Very good, then, let's tidy up and I'll show you my Pokémon collection of plushies. Are you sure you want to see it?"
"Of course I do!! I'd love to!" Youngjo always had the power to look so innocent and pure whenever it was about something he truly liked. It was sweet, Youngjo was sweet and Hwanwoong had to stop thinking that the other was sweet because that was wrong.
As soon as the table was clean, Minji dragged his papi along with Youngjo and he had no choice left but to open his bedroom's door, revealing to him a room he had hardly opened for anyone he knew. Hwanwoong's room was small but his book shelves were all over the bottom wall and they were filled with books, anime, games, figures and plushies. "I know it's childish..."
"Are you kidding me Yeo Hwanwoong!?" Youngjo's eyes were as big as the moon and they were just as shiny when he stepped inside to take a better look. "This is... This is amazing!!" He gasped at the amount of manga he could see on the shelves. "Naruto, Detective Conan, Chainsaw Man, Haikyuu, Pokémon! I know them all, do you love them too?"
"Y-Yeah... They're my favourite ones along with Marvel Movies. I think it's all my fault if Minji is now so obsessed with superheroes and all... Do you... Do you really like them all?" He asked, unable to believe someone as handsome and busy as Youngjo might share the same hobby as him too. "Don't you think it's a little too much for a young man like me?"
"Not at all, Hwanwoong-ah! These anime all have a very deep and well-structured plot. Only people who are able to see beyond the surface are able to tell the inner meaning of them. I used to wish to become an actor or a director and, even if I'm happy being a producer, I enjoy watching a good movie or good animation movies like in this case. This is not childish, at all."
Hwanwoong once again found himself speechless at the sincerity and at the wisdom of the other's words. Youngjo never ceased to surprise him nor to make him reflect on things from another point of view, a more creative, positive, open minded, heartfelt point of view. He loved it. Hwanwoong loved the way the other made him feel, the way his heart started beating like crazy when Youngjo started asking him all sorts of questions about the volumes he had read, or where he had gotten his action figures. They didn't even realize Minji had given up on trying to understand what the duo was talking about and he had fallen asleep on his dad's bed.
"...and the final battle!? What about it?" Youngjo asked him as he was holding an Umbreon's plushie while Hwanwoong was showing him one of his latest manga volumes.
"I have to say... I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would-"
Youngjo's eyes widened again: "Me too!! Please, finally someone agrees with me!"
"I mean, we waited for all that time and they gave us that...? I remember when I watched it with Minji I didn't even have to cover his eyes because the fight was totally fine for him to see, wasn't it honey?" He turned towards his baby and he found him sleeping. "Minji-ah?"
Youngjo slightly laughed: "Were we too much of a couple of nerds for him?"
Hwanwoong couldn't help smiling too as he checked out his phone: "What, crap, it's 1am..." He was unable to hide his disappointment. "It's late, I should put Minji to bed now..."
Youngjo looked as if someone had just splashed cold water on him. "R-Right, of course! I should get going now. It was... nice discovering your collection and you know... about you." He stood up, putting the plushie he had been hugging back on top of the shelf. "I'll see you on Monday, Hwanwoong-ah. Good night and say hi to Minji from me!" That being said, he rushed towards the entrance door and he left Hwanwoong alone with his heart still overbeating.
***
Hwanwoong swore under his breath for the fifth time that day. It was a Saturday, therefore he was already extra tired and late for dinner, but the rain was just the cherry on top. He didn't earn enough money to afford a car so, Hwanwoong always went to work with his scooter and, to ride it under the rain wasn't the best experience ever. He usually checked the weather forecast and he brought along at least an umbrella or a raincoat, but he had forgotten about it that day. The result of his latest act of clumsiness had been for him to get home soaked in water.
"I'm h-home..." He sneezed as soon as he stepped inside.
"Papi!!" Minji was the first one who welcomed him as always but he gasped as soon as he noticed his father was dripping on the floor. "Did you shower under the rain, Papi?"
"Hwanwoong-ah..." Youngjo came from the kitchen wearing the other's green apron. He looked so concerned and domestic Hwanwoong's heart sank in his delusional feelings. "Didn't you see the weather forecast this morning? Come here, take these off!" He said, quickly helping the host of the house with his bag and his helmet. Hwanwoong looked so tired he didn't even complain when the oldest took off his jacket as well, revealing his simple white shirt and black trousers he had to wear at the café. There was only one problem: Hwanwoong's shirt was so wet it had become transparent and the oldest was able to see the curves of the other's body perfectly under the paper thin white fabric. He hesitated for some reason, unable to breathe.
"Hyung, is Papi okay?" Minji's sweetly concerned voice reached Youngjo, shaking him from his own thoughts. "Papi, are you okay? You always say I should never play under the rain!"
Hwanwoong successfully took off his shoes: "I'm good, baby, I just need a shower that's all..."
Youngjo was right there when the youngest tripped on his own feet because his vision had become blurry again: "Minji-ah, don't worry! I'll take care of your papi. Please, wait in the living room and let me know when the timer of the oven sounds, okay? We'll be right back!"
Minji nodded as if he had just been given a very important mission to accomplish and he rushed towards the living room to do as he was told. Youngjo smiled, finding himself once again thinking that kid was as clever as the meaning of his name expressed*.
"I'm okay... L-Leave me..." Hwanwoong complained, failing in his attempt to push the other.
Youngjo gave him a look: "Hwanwoong-ah, you're soaking wet and it's Saturday and you're tired and might get sick anytime soon. Can you please stop thinking you have to do everything on your own?" He tightened his grip around his waist, putting the other's arm around his neck.
"I can't because I'm alone!" Hwanwoong raised his voice as he tried to stop the room from spinning. "You're the one who doesn't understand that if I get sick, if I take a break, if I stop... Minji won't have anyone. I'm the only one who can, and will take care of him..." His head felt suddenly heavy and he hadn't even realized Youngjo's hand had come in support. "I have to..."
"I will." Youngjo said, but he sounded suddenly far and unclear to Hwanwoong. "You're not alone, Hwanwoong-ah, not anymore. I'll help you. I'll take care of him. I'll take care of you."
Hwanwoong collapsed before he could hear the other's voice any further. Youngjo promptly accompanied the other's head on his own shoulder before setting his arm behind the other's knees to lift Hwanwoong up bridal style. He led him to the bathroom and he tried to call the other's attention but he seemed to have lost his senses so, he took a deep breath and he did what he knew it had to be done. He took his apron and his socks off and he made the other sit in the bathtub. He gulped hard as he unbuttoned every single one of Hwanwoong's buttons to finally expose his bare chest, and he was quite sure he stopped breathing when it came to pull his trousers and underwear off. Youngjo liked Hwanwoong. He had probably liked him since the very first moment they had met but it had been getting worse because the more he discovered about the single father, the more he wanted to know. Unfortunately, aside from a couple of jokes they had shared, he had no idea about the other's sentimental life, or about Minji's mother for example, whom his father had never mentioned at all. Youngjo couldn't ask about it in any way and that was the reason why he was doing all his best to keep his stupid crush for a very probably heterosexual single father under control. It was hard, it was really hard to look at how toned and good looking the other's body was though, without having any right to graze it.
He washed the other's body as he was still unconscious and he made sure to dry it well with a towel before leading him to his bedroom. He knew all about the house after working there for two months so, it hadn't been hard for him to find Hwanwoong's fresh clothes. He kneeled on the other's bed to better open his robe and get him dressed: Hwanwoong's cheeks were red and his eyes were unexpectedly semi-open even if he was clearly still out of it. Youngjo's heart was beating so fast it felt as if it was about to rip his chest apart. He wondered if the youngest had any idea about how absolutely beautiful, sexy and breathtaking he was right in that moment, right under him, right on that bed, wearing nothing but a white robe, his wet hair and his rosy cheeks. Youngjo realized he had crawled closer to the other only when their faces were a few inches away from one another. Hwanwoong mumbled something he was unable to hear.
"Hyung!! The oven's alarm sounded! It's ready, it's ready-" Minji's eyes widened the moment he slammed the door open and he saw Youngjo was hovering on top of his dad. "Papi? Hyung?"
***
So, what did you think about this first chapter? Please, let me know in the comments because the more I'll receive, the quickest I'll upload the next one ❤
*I hope you like my little Minji!! I took some inspiration from this kid right here:
This video made me fall in love with him so I imagined him to be like this, his name also is not chosen by chance, I know it's actually a female Korean name but I fell in love with its meaning which is the following:
[Min-ji]
Origin: Korean
Meaning: Intelligent, clever
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Min-jee
Famous Namesakes: Seo Min-ji, South Korean actress; Lee Min-ji, South Korean actress
There's another happy news! After lots of thinking, I decided to create a Ko-Fi account so, if you enjoy what I do, you can also support me by "offering me a coffee" here: https://t.co/0PupzRQZkB
Make sure to check out my other works in ONEUS fandom ❤
If you don't want to miss any updates, or you simply want to chat, you can follow me on Twitter (@likeasky21) ❤