Archive of Our Own

3rd Pov

Being a single dad wasn't easy, and it made it even harder when the mother of the child decided they wanted to go on holiday without their child practically every other week (it was a wonder as to why she even fought for custody). Jeno had a full time job as a CEO of one company and stock holder of many others, all while trying to juggle his life with his daughter, Minseo, around.

He was never proud of the fact he wasn't home often, and it was one of the reasons that he had hired people to work in his house: butlers, cleaners, gardeners. Yet something he never had to worry about was a chef nor a babysitter, as those two roles belonged solely to a boy that was (in Jeno's mind) far too good at what he did, especially for his age. And eventually, that boy became the only person he needed in the house, capable of it all.

Jeno wasn't especially old, barely peeking into his thirties by the time he had hired the 21 year old boy who really looked like he had no other opportunities. At first it was tough to trust his daughter, his life and joy, to this new boy, however after seeing the way Minseo clung to the boy at every chance she got, and the way that the boy reciprocated her love and care, Jeno started to feel more and more comfortable with the concept. It finally meant that he didn't have to have the little girl sat on his office sofa, bored out of her mind.

"Minseo~" Jeno called out in a gruff voice as he walked down stairs. He knew the little one was awake because he had heard her padding along outside of his door, along side another pair of feet that Jeno had no doubt belonged to that silver haired boy. "Daddy's leaving in a second darling." From the kitchen, he heard little giggles- his daughter's- followed by the gentle, honey-dipped tone of the boy, one of the most soothing sounds that Jeno had ever heard and believed he would ever hear.

With a small grin, the CEO made his way towards the kitchen, trying to keep his steps as quiet as possible as he approached the open door frame. He decided to get rid of the big door that was there because as a toddler, Minseo couldn't open the door and she would cry if the chef was in there without her; this was clearly a well thought out solution as it also meant he could spy on them from the hallway.

Jeno didn't admit it often, but watching the two interact together was possibly one of his favourite things to see in the morning before going to work. The way they smiled and the way the boy taught Minseo new words, allowed her to "help" cook (which consisted of him giving the little girl a small frying pan that she could lift, and fake food) and he even spoke to the girl about her father. Jeno had heard the way the boy spoke about him as if he wasn't listening, and it was really filled with nothing but endearment (occasionally followed by a 'yes, your daddy is a big meanie isn't he.')

Growing tired of waiting outside and hearing his own daughter berate him for his work hours, Jeno stepped in, "and who are you calling a mean idiot, Minseo?" The suit-cladded man had one eyebrow raised, clearly visible from the way his hair was gelled up and out of his forehead. Instantly, the little girl stumbled over her words before shouting:

"Nana obviously!"

Ah, Nana, it was a name that Minseo had given the chef once they got close and she learnt his surname- Jeno never even once missed the little blush that formed on the boy's cheeks when she said it. "Well, what did your dear Nana do now? Did he give you amazing food? Did he not give you enough hugs? or..." He paused slightly as he edged closer, noticing the way 'Nana' smiled and backed away just as slowly. Once he reached his daughter, he lifted her into the air, talking over her screams and squeals. "... Are you lying to me!"

As Minseo made excited, high pitched noises, Jeno couldn't help but let his eyes be drawn to the silver haired chef that just watched them with the most adoring eyes; the boy's eyes were much more loving and kind than Jeno ever saw with his ex wife, especially in the way they were turned to Minseo. His ex-wife never looked at Minseo that way. She never cared for Minseo, however Jeno couldn't win in a trial regarding who would look after Minseo because of his working hours.

After a couple more minutes of teasing his daughter, Jeno finally felt his arms beginning to strain so he placed Minseo down on the stool she was previously sat on and checked the time. "I've got to go to work-"

Before he could continue, he was cut off by Nana. "Sir, I've made you a lunch, also, could I talk to you when you return?" Instantly, Jeno felt a rush of both happiness and concern, especially regarding what the younger wanted to talk to him about, however he couldn't find himself worrying for too long as Nana smiled sweetly and reassuringly, his facial expressions saying everything without a single sound.

Sighing to himself, Jeno nodded, "of course you can Jaemin. Thank you for making me lunch." Jaemin said no more before rummaging through the fridge and pulling out a small bag, handing it to his boss. After taking hold of the bag, Jeno leant over to Minseo and kissed her head, smiling and whispering to her "look after Nana, make sure he isn't naughty." However, Jeno had no intention of whispering, allowing Jaemin to hear his words.

Behind him, he heard Jaemin chuckle before turning back to the pan he had simmering on the stove. And then he was gone. Off to work, to sit in his dull office, with no sounds of laughter or joy, brooding over what time he would get home. He hated the fact he had to take over from his father, and vowed he wouldn't subject his daughter to it, instead he would find a worthy suitor of his job and give it to them instead. Even if he hated it, Jeno acknowledged the fact that this was his job, it was what he had been left with, and if it wasn't for his work then he wouldn't be able to support Minseo. He wouldn't be able to support Jaemin.

At this point, it was impossible for him to ignore his feelings that merely started as a little bud of emotion but soon flourished into a paradise of love and admiration, all grown for little Jaemin. He always thought that the male was pretty, arriving at his office after scheduling an appointment with his black hair and little smile; then Jaemin dyed his hair a few different colours before settling on the silver colour that really suited his skin tone. Yet no matter what colour hair the boy tried, he always looked amazing, it all suited him perfectly.

Jeno hadn't realised that he was zoning out into the thoughts of Jaemin until he heard a soft cough from in front of him, snapping him back into reality as his secretary stood in front of him. Lee Haechan, he was a devious man, a little older than Jeno, but just as childish as 4 year old Minseo. "What's got your head in the clouds, Jeno? You're not normally like this unless it is about a person." Instantly, Jeno regretted ever letting Haechan come over to his house while Jaemin was there (before Jaemin moved in fulltime and was instead living there during the week days) because Haechan saw the beauty and immediately went to teasing Jeno about it. "Thinking about your pretty little mistress, are you?"

Immediately, Jeno rolled his eyes, "Jaemin isn't a mistress, I'm not married anymore so he wouldn't be anyway-" It was only as he was speaking that he realised that Haechan had successfully gotten into his head. "Anyway," he quickly tried to redeem himself, but the elder's smirk was already far too wide. "Why are you in my office?"

Gripping his chest as if he had been mortally wounded, Haechan sniffled dramatically, "and here I was, looking after my boss when he suddenly decided he didn't love me-"

"i've never loved you," Jeno barked back, "now answer me before you lose your job."

With a small pout and a side glare, the elder huffed, "-fine. There's a few papers to sign before the afternoon meeting, but before the meeting, the director of Seo corp. has invited you for lunch- he said you are free to decline if you are too busy, but I would suggest going and talking to him regarding the issues surrounding the land that you own in Jeon-ju, as well as to discuss the matters revolving between him, you, and his sister, seeing as he is clearly knowledgeable of your struggles with your daughter, his niece."

Sat at his desk, Jeno frowned heavily, the sight being distasteful compared to his eye-curving smile that usually graced his features. He never despised Seo Youngho, but he hated how his ex-wife's family stuck their nose into his and Minseo's business. His ex wanted nothing to do with Minseo, yet their entire family dig into his life and act as if it is just for work; the only partial exception to that was Youngho himself, but it didn't make it any less awkward whenever they met and spoke about life. It was one of the things that made Jeno keep his meetings with Mr Seo so incredibly short.

After a few seconds of deliberation, Jeno finally let out a sigh, "I'll meet with Mr Seo another day. I could do without more prying today, not to mention I would prefer to talk to him in a business manner, not over lunch as if he is trying to court me in replacement of his sister- and about the papers, hand them over and sit on the couch while I read over them and sign them." Quietly, the bear-like male teased about how bossy he was being before placing the papers on his desk and distancing himself on the couch.

Usually it was alright working with Haechan in the room, as he seemed to differentiate between work and play rather well... but sometimes he was an absolute menace to be in the same room as. "You know, if there is one thing I dislike about you hiring Jaemin, it would be the fact that it means you don't bring Minseo here anymore."

Staring down at the words he was reading, Jeno hummed, splitting his focus. "Minseo deserves to have a fun life as a child, not one where she is locked in my office while I work. She was miserable whenever it was just her and she got bored fast, which made my work less efficient. Not to mention, you've gotten a lot more productive since I had Jaemin looking after her- you do your work now because I don't have her here to distract you." He scribbled his signature at the bottom before moving that sheet of paper to the side and starting on the next one.

Exasperated with the younger, Haechan groaned, "yes, but that also means you don't spend much time with her anymore, you only have time on the weekends, but even then most people want to meet with you on the weekends." It was as if Jeno had his daughter back in the room, because as he glanced up at his secretary, he noticed the way that Haechan picked feathers out of the pillows, exactly the same thing that Minseo did when she got bored and frustrated.

With a heavy sigh, Jeno signed the last paper and stood up, "come on. We are going for early lunch. I don't have anything else to do right now and we can leave those papers there until we return and then go to the meeting." This seemed to greatly fix the elder's mood as his head perked up like an excited puppy's. In reality, Jeno also needed a break from being sat at his desk, realising it as he stood up and felt his knees crack- he always felt old when that happened, and he felt even older as he saw Haechan practically leap up as if he was still youthful and free. How annoying.

-♦️-

"Minseo," Jaemin called out softly as he travelled up the large stairs to go and find the little girl. "Do you want lunch yet? I can make pretty much anything you want." As he reached her door, which was nicely decorated with stickers and also a few paint splatters and hand prints (a mix of Minseo's and Jeno's) Jaemin noticed how quiet it was. Normally you could hear the younger girl singing to herself, or at least hear some steady tapping of her feet, yet as Jaemin pressed his ear to the door, he heard nothing. "Minnie?"

Turning the handle, he pushed open the door, his heart skipping a beat as he realised the girl wasn't in her room. He would have been more worried, however he knew that she wouldn't have left the house, seeing as all the doors were locked and she knew not to go out without someone with her. It was still concerning that she wasn't in her room, but he was put more at ease by the fact she was in one of the rooms at least.

Quietly, he left her room, closing the door before making his way down the hall and checking all of the rooms, including his own, but he left one room unchecked as he felt it would be too much of an invasion of privacy; that was until that room was the only room left. In front of the large doors, Jaemin stood and pondered, wishing that he didn't have to check in there, and wishing that Minseo would just pop out of a room and laugh about how she was hiding so well that he couldn't find her, but he knew she was in there.

Jeno's bedroom had always been a limit for Jaemin, even if the elder said it was fine to go in there, Jaemin felt wrong doing so- he felt it was even more private than the man's office that was stacked with file cabinets and other work related things. But Jaemin prioritised Minseo over his own morals at this point, he had practically watched the girl grow up, she was like a daughter to him.

Slowly and silently, Jaemin pushed the door open, revealing the incredibly big room that was surprisingly plain: a massive bed, big enough to fit Jaemin's entire family, was settled in the centre of the back wall, sheer curtains draped from the ceiling around the outside of the bed, and in the centre of it all was a tiny body. Minseo was incredibly disproportionate in comparison to the entire bed, and Jaemin frowned as he saw the way the girl slept with the bedding clung between her small fingers, her face half squished into the pillow and her nose slightly red from what Jaemin presumed was crying. He hated seeing her like this, he hated seeing her so deprived of her father that she cried and clung to anything that had even a bit of semblance to the elder.

Staying completely silent, Jaemin stepped in and closed the door behind him, making his way towards the bed and sitting on the edge of it, brushing a strand of hair out of Minseo's face. "Mmm..." Instantly, the little girl reacted and scrunched up her face, about to open her eyes until Jaemin hushed gently.

"Go back to sleep, Minnie. You don't mind if I join you, right?" Usually, Jaemin had respect for the boundaries he set, but despite knowing he was crossing so many of his boundaries, he found himself empathising with the little girl, curling up on the bed along side her and letting his eyes shut over, one arm curled under his head and the other wrapped around her waist as he lay beside her. Slowly but surely, he allowed his breathing to even out and allowed his mind to go blank, drifting out of consciousness, into the comfortable blankets of his boss's bed. Just one little nap. It couldn't be too bad.

-♦️-

Groaning with tire and ache, Jeno stripped off his jacket and hung it on the coat hook in the hallway, stretching himself out as he untucked his shirt and began to walk around, dropping his bag on the floor. As he walked into the kitchen, he was surprised to find that nobody was there, then he checked the time and realised he had in fact come home early- but not early enough that Jaemin wouldn't be cooking dinner yet. "Where the hell are they." He mumbled to himself, kicking his shoes off in the kitchen (a habit that Jaemin wouldn't even hesitate to admonish if he were there) and went to search.

Much like Jaemin, he started at Minseo's room before venturing to the other rooms, eyebrows furrowed when he didn't find them. Suddenly, he saw his bedroom door creak open, and his daughter snuck out quiet. "Minseo." He said loudly, earning a glare and a harsh 'shh!' from the small girl, immediately making him confused. "What?"

She didn't shut the door as she walked towards Jeno, hugging him tight and smiling, "Nana fell asleep." Wrapping his arms around his daughter, Jeno hummed, listening to her as she continued, "I'm gonna go play in my room, don't be too mean to Nana when waking him up." And just like that, as if she hadn't said anything, as if she wasn't practically trying to set the two of them up, she walked away and quietly opened her door before slipping into her room and closing the door behind her; this left Jeno standing in the second floor hall way, his ears burning red with flushed embarrassment as he turned to his slightly cracked open door.

Sure enough, as the brunette walked in, he saw the silver haired boy curled up on his bed, in a way that you could clearly see where Minseo had been sleeping before Jeno arrived home. For once, Jeno got to see Jaemin in a much more relaxed state, he was overly conscious of the way Jaemin tensed up a little when they were speaking, so to see the cute boy curled up, his hair a bit messy, in the middle of his bed, was too much for Jeno at first. Then, once the initial shock passed by, he was filled with nothing but adoration and genuine love.

'How cute.' Jeno thought to himself as he sat down on the edge of the bed, a small smile on his face. Jaemin really did look angelic, so much so that Jeno couldn't hold himself back as he stroked the younger's hair, flinching when Jaemin shifted in his sleep and hummed himself awake. "Good morning, sleepy head." Jeno teased lightly, smiling as the boy rolled over and hummed his reply, rubbing sleepily at his eyes. "Shall I make dinner?"

Almost instantly, Jaemin's eyes shot open and scrambled upwards, sitting up and blushing bright red as he looked at the elder. "Oh god- Jeno, sir, I'm so sorry-"

However, he was cut off by a deep laugh, the elder's eyes creasing warmly into half moons. "Don't apologise, Nana." He didn't even spare a second of attention towards the nickname he said as he ruffled Jaemin's hair, "I'm glad you slept well, and that you kept Minseo company. I can only imagine how you must have ended up in this situation." As he opened his eyes, Jaemin noticed a slight bitterness within them, an almost guilty look of frustration, one that made him take hold of Jeno's hand before remembering their working relationship and instead distancing himself.

"Actually, sir." He began, kneeling on the bed and facing Jeno, piking the latter's interest. "That was something I wanted to talk to you about. I was wondering if you would be able to take a day off of work tomorrow, for Minseo's sake." Timidly, Jaemin looked at the bedding, "it's just that she's been rather distant when we do activities together, and she misses you a lot. She even asked if we could go to your office a few times and I just didn't know what to say."

Silence drifted between them for a second, Jaemin holding his breath out of the fear that he overstepped in his relationship with the elder; this was until Jeno finally answered, "of course I will, I have been meaning to take some time off soon, what day better than tomorrow." As Jaemin lifted his head, his heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest- Jeno looked so dreamy sometimes, so much so that the younger could barely hold himself back a lot of the time. It was at times like this, where it was just the two of them, that Jaemin felt he was with a friend, that maybe him and Jeno could be more than just employee and employer.

But that was wishful thinking to him.

Smiling brightly, Jaemin hummed, "thank you, sir. Let's make it a surprise for her." A shot flooded his chest, he practically hopped up from the bed, bowing to Jeno in slight embarrassment before hurrying out of the room to go and make dinner. This left Jeno sat on the edge of his own bed, feeling rather out of place, yet he still let out a short chuckle at the young boy's enthusiasm- if anything this entire thing made him fall even further head over heels for the silver-ette. As he took in the way his bed sheets were now crumpled (a sight he didn't return home to often) he sighed, tearing himself away from the bed and stripping himself of his clothes, only to change into a tank top and comfy bottoms; this was probably his favourite thing about being home, he never felt pressured to dress smart and uptight. He felt safe at home. Safer than he would anywhere else.

He remained in his room for a bit, until he could smell the food from downstairs, a clear indication that Jaemin would be calling for them to come down and eat soon- so he left his room, leaving his door slightly cracked and headed downstairs. As he was walking down, he noticed his shoes that he had thrown off in the kitchen were now neatly placed by the coat hanger, a sign that Jaemin had in fact disliked his shoes being in the kitchen from the moment he got in. The thought of it made him chuckle slightly as he walked into the kitchen, "I see you didn't like my shoes being in the kitchen." His lips tugged up at one side in a teasing smirk as he admired the chef in his natural habitat; it amazed Jeno whenever he saw Jaemin freely skirting around the kitchen and making it his own.

Well, it wasn't very hard to make it his own considering it didn't belong to anyone before hand- it was practically untouched before Jaemin came, in reality, and even now, with the way the young boy cleans it, it still looks spotless.

Of course, the kitchen's cleanliness was something that Jaemin really seemed to prioritise, but Jeno was never told why. "Yes, your shoes were dirty, so I moved them to the hallway." He turned away and smiled sweetly, but after all this time living together, Jeno could see the slight twitch in Jaemin's eye. "I hope you don't mind, sir." It could have been threatening if Jaemin wasn't wearing one of the cutest aprons in the world while holding a cat themed spatula- the way he spat out the word sir almost seemed derogatory, which made sense seeing as Jaemin had told Jeno off for leaving his shoes around so many times before, so of course the male from Jeon-ju would be a bit mad.

Chuckling lowly, Jeno hummed, "sorry Nana, I won't do it again, I swear it just slipped my mind as I couldn't find anyone when I first came in." Gently, he sat himself own on the island table in the kitchen, watching as Jaemin huffed and turned back around to the simmering pan of tteokbokki, a food that Jaemin had identified as one of Minseo's favourites. "Aw, Minseo's favourite? Why not mine?" He pouted like a stubborn child, this personality seeming to contrast his work personality so much that someone could assume he had a personality disorder by how fast he was able to flip flop between them.

Fortunately, Jaemin was used to the elder's antics. "I made Jjamppong for you the other day; you know I can't make it often because of Minseo's allergy to mussels, whereas you both eat tteokbokki, so it seems like a fair deal... not to mention I like Minseo more than I do you." His last few words were filled with teasing, however it wasn't like Jeno could even attempt to argue with him because the rest of his statement had been so incredibly thoughtful and caring- Jeno literally had nothing to argue with.

So instead he sulked, eyebrows furrowed as he drew circles on the counter surface, "I'm pretty sure you two like each other more than either of you like me at this point- you may as well be her second dad." It slipped out before he could stop it, and he noticed the way Jaemin stopped stirring completely, seeming frozen in tension. Instantly, Jeno thought that he overstepped, going up to apologise until Jaemin hummed.

It was quiet, almost unnoticeable if Jeno hadn't been on such high alert, but he heard it. That small hum wasn't completely reassuring, but it was good enough.

"Could you get Minseo for me? I'm going to be done cooking soon." For the first time, Jaemin didn't look in Jeno's direction while addressing him, the motion making Jeno feel tense all over again. However he couldn't do much else, so he instead left the kitchen and went to collect his daughter; this left Jaemin alone in the kitchen, the silver haired boy putting down his wooden spoon and sinking to the floor, sitting on his ankles and he rested his head on the cabinet below the stove, overly conscious of the way his cheeks burnt with a flustered red. Flustered. Embarrassed. Shocked. Jaemin didn't know how to feel, and so he decided to feel everything at the same time.

He could have sat on the floor debating over his boss' words all day, if it wasn't for the steady footsteps that made their way down the stairs, alerting him that Minseo was on her way down, thus he stood up and got back to cooking, urging the heat in his face to burn down- though, he could always just blame it on the heat from the stove. Jeno and Minseo walked in, the little girl in the former's arms as they spoke to each other quietly, Jeno talking about how his day at work was, the girl listening intently when Jeno brought up Haechan. Minseo always loved the bear-like male, and Jaemin hadn't met him much, but when he did see Haechan, they almost always got into a little argument from the elder's teasing.

"Nana!" Minseo called out, the chef looking over his shoulder at her and smiling brightly before saying hello, "papa said you made tteokbokki for us." She wriggled in Jeno's arms until she was placed down on the floor, allowing her to run over to Jaemin's side and try and get a view of the pan (however she was too short to properly see). Noticing her struggle, Jaemin decided to put down the wooden utensil and pick her up instead to make sure she didn't burn herself on the flame while trying to reach up and see.

From the other side of the room, Jeno watched the two as Jaemin balanced Minseo on his hip, one hand around her waist and the other stirring the tteokbokki; a domestic household was something he had always craved, ever since he was a child, it was something he strived for, so when he couldn't even have that with his ex-wife, he felt completely torn apart. But standing there, seeing Jaemin hold his daughter while cooking dinner, to see the young male waiting for him to return home, Jeno couldn't help but feel like his heart was swelling with joy from getting what he always wanted. "Come on Minseo, let's sit at the table, let Nana cook comfortably." Carefully, he took his daughter from Jaemin, taking her through to the proper dining room instead of the kitchen island table.

Dinner went down well, Minseo sat with them on a booster seat while they ate, she always complained whenever she wasn't sat with them, but the chairs and table were too high for her, so Jeno made a way for her to sit with them. "Alright, time to brush your teeth and get ready for bed. Go get your favourite pyjamas out and I'll come help you put them on, yeah?" Jeno stood up and gently pet Minseo's hair, taking her down from her chair (silently grimacing to himself at the mess she left on the table) before allowing her to run off up the stairs.

Awkward silence drifted in the room as Jeno and Jaemin sat quietly. The elder couldn't help the way he felt embarrassed by what he had said before, but he didn't know what to say about it; as he opened his mouth to try and apologise, Jaemin jumped in first, cutting him off before he could let out a single sound, "I'll clear the dishes away and clean the table, I'll try not to stay awake too late tonight." That bright, warming smile that graced his lips was something that made it even harder for Jeno to just leave him alone, but the silver haired boy just bowed before picking up the plates and taking them to the kitchen to wash them.

Fingers carded through Jeno's hair as he sighed, frustrated with himself but also glad that the younger seemed to want to keep things as normal between them; though, that raised the question, did he really want it to be what "normal" was? No, he wanted more than that, but if Jaemin wanted a normalcy between them, then he would be happy to do so, just for little Nana. Slowly, he made his way upstairs pushing open the door to his daughters room only to find her with her pyjama shirt on but all the holes put on the wrong way, "come here, Minseo. Let me help."

Meanwhile, Jaemin stood over the sink, the hot tap running and filling it with water as he just stared at it, seemingly zoning out. One hand draped across his chest as he felt his own heartbeat, bottom lip taut between his teeth as he thought to himself about Jeno's words. 'Minseo's second dad.' He thought to himself, mind wandering to the point that he didn't notice the water had begun to fill up too much, until his finger was scalded by the burning hot water, resulting in his retracting his hand as fast as possible while also turning the tap. "Shhhh-" He bit his tongue, stopping himself from swearing as he looked at the water that had spilled over. A sharp sigh left him as he blew softly on his finger before grabbing the mop as well as a small tea towel to clean up the mess.

He'd never been this reckless before, even if he had his moments of zoning out and focusing on thoughts that he probably shouldn't be having under that roof, but to let the water spill over- it felt almost too ironic to believe it even happened considering it was exactly how he felt.

Filled to the brim, emotions toppling over and spilling out, letting his emotions burst in front of Jeno would be the worst thing, yet he has started to do it.

Jaemin said he wouldn't stay awake for too long, but by the time he was finished (which for some reason included reorganising how the bowls were stacked in the cupboard) it was almost 1am, making him groan and sigh. He didn't want to go upstairs though, so he slunk into the living room and plopped himself down on the couch, feeling his eyelids grow ever heavier until they completely closed over, his head lolling to the side as he lowered himself down so that he was laying down on the couch instead- better to do it while half conscious rather than let himself fall in his sleep.

-♦️-

Light glared through the curtains, landing directly on Jaemin's eyes as he hummed to himself, his face scrunching up in rejection of the sun that seemed so desperate to interrupt his sleep. Knowing that the sun was up made Jaemin sigh heavily as he realised it would be another day where he wakes up earlier than necessary just to do some little chores and make Minseo some breakfast before she wakes up. However, the difference today was that Jeno would be there. He immediately got to thinking and eventually pulled himself up and ruffled his hair, pulling his phone out and checking the weather through bleary eyes.

Ah, a back garden picnic. What a treat that would be; the heat, the sun, the food, and Minseo could wear her adorable little summer dress, topped off with a ribbon-tied floppy hat (call her spoiled, but even Jaemin had to admit it was an incredibly good investment of money). Cracking every bone as he stood up, Jaemin stretched his hands above his head, a small, whiney noise coming out along side it. Silently, he headed to the kitchen and stood in front of the window, sighing softly. "Let's get started."

He pushed the window open and pulled his apron from the hook beside it, tying it around his waist and going to the fridge. Kimbap, watermelon, peaches, gyeran mari, and an assortment of cooked meats and chopped vegetables; this was Jaemin's plan, and his early awakening made for perfect timing for him to be able to prepare all of these things. Yes, he had a tendency to overcompensate when it came to cooking, however he felt like he had to repay Jeno for his kindness (even if it was technically Jaemin's job and he already got paid for it).

He got paid, however he didn't find much use for it considering he was now living in the Lee Manor and the only thing he really needed was to pay for clothes (other expenses were already taken care of by Jeno himself) so he instead passed out his earnings to his family and friends, and whatever was left after that was donated to charities for education and helping to re-home the impoverished.

Quietly humming to himself, Jaemin got everything ready for the picnic, leaving the food to cook while he gathered a blanket from the cupboard in the hallway. The sun had fully woken up and stretched it's rays so beautifully, and Jaemin just knew that the two sleeping beauties would be walking downstairs in their slumber-drunk states soon. And he wasn't wrong, a door creaked open upstairs and Jaemin only had to listen a little longer before he heard Jeno's heavy feet padding down the hall and towards the stairs; of course, Jaemin didn't hesitate to boil the kettle and tip a few spoon fulls of coffee grains into a mug.

It was as Jeno walked into the kitchen, the kettle stopped boiling and Jaemin poured the hot water into the mug before adding just a splash of milk. "Good morning, your coffee." He placed the mug down in front of Jeno just as the latter sat down at the island table, eyes still screwed shut tightly. Jaemin didn't expect much of a reply (the coarse hum that he received was surprise enough) so he just smiled and turned back to the meats that were being grilled. "I was thinking we could have a picnic in the back garden, it isn't much, but a day out with Minseo would be good for you- both of you." He was practically speaking to a brick wall due to the elder male's tiredness, however he couldn't stand even a second of silence between them, the fear that it would be too awkward forcing him to speak almost as if he were on autopilot.

"I can wake Minseo up, get her dressed, and you just put on some shorts or something, and then we can go to the far end, by the pond, and take some of the koi feed since they haven't been fed in a while. Ooh, we could check on the tadpole spawn and see how much they've grown and then maybe-"

Jaemin's barrage of thoughts was cut off my Jeno's gruff laugh, the coffee seeming to finally make it through his system and waking him up properly, "I appreciate the thought, Nana, but let's just have a chill picnic. Just do what feels the most comfortable at the time. Minseo may not even want to see the frog spawn. Her feelings towards frogs has changes rather drastically ever since that toad scared her." Jaemin almost had the nerve to scoff, Minseo knew the difference between toads and frogs, she also wasn't the type to be put off by one little toad. However, he just hummed instead, focusing on the meat.

Just as he had feared, silence settled over them as soon as Jeno stopped his train of thought, a strange weight gathering in Jaemin's chest and making him feel breathless as he heard the elder shuffle around behind him.

"So," Jeno started, "I didn't hear you come upstairs last night." It was always amazing how much you could hear in this big house- despite the size of it, you could hear who was coming up and down the steps from the other end of the halls. "It was definitely around 1am when I fell asleep." The clink of Jeno's mug on the table was eerily loud and sharp, "everything okay?"

Hastily, the silver-ette turned around and shook his hands dismissively, "oh no, yeah, everything is fine. Just had a bit to do and I didn't want to risk waking either of you when I was going upstairs- you know how I am with that one creaky step." It was clear that his lie wasn't convincing to Jeno, however the CEO didn't press any harder, instead just leaving the topic for later (and Jaemin knew it would be returned to later in the day when Jeno was more awake and prepared to push for answers).

"Alright, just... you can tell me anything you need to." And with that, the conversation was closed, Jeno's mug placed in the sink, and the meat taken off of the grill. Jeno headed upstairs, leaving Jaemin to mull in his thoughts again.

He wished he could just tell Jeno 'anything', but in reality, it could take anything to break what bond they do have. Jaemin would do anything to keep what they have.

-♦️-

Less than an hour later, the three of them had gathered downstairs, Jaemin practically wrestling with Minseo to get her shoes on while Jeno only looked at them, refusing to help. "Lee Minseo, wear your shoes properly otherwise we will sit in the house all day and do nothing." Jaemin's voice held little malice, however it was stern, giving the little girl no other option.

At first, Jeno thought that Minseo wouldn't listen to Jaemin and would instead throw a tantrum but to his surprise, his daughter actually did as Jaemin said, pulling her shoes on and letting Jaemin do her laces before hurrying to the back door. "How did you do that?" He genuinely asked the silver-ette when they were alone.

In return, Jaemin chuckled gently, almost a giggle, "I've been teaching Minseo about the way her actions have consequences so she knows I am not joking when I say it. She is smarter than you think."

'She gets it from you,' Jeno almost muttered, knowing that he was blatantly staring at the younger male with just pure adoration. As he continued to stare, he noticed a light pink that flushed on Jaemin's cheeks before the latter turned away and picked up a small bag.

The only thing that stopped Jeno's mouth from opening and letting his confession spill out was the yell of impatience from his daughter, who very sincerely wanted to hurry up with this picnic. After a short walk to the furthest part of the garden, Jaemin settled down the blanket on the floor, smoothing it out and sighing softly to himself as he felt the hot sun beat against his back. He wasn't wearing much clothing, but it already felt like too much.

Minseo, on the other hand, was having the time of her life, running around in the slightly dew-tipped grass. The smile on her face was so wide, all tooth, just genuine joy.

Jeno and Jaemin sat down, the latter keeping an eye on Minseo while Jeno picked out some food from the bag, mumbling to himself about how good it all looked. It was peaceful, nice, calm; an environment that Jeno didn't feel he had the joys of experiencing often, yet he felt that Jaemin and Minseo often felt this way- the thought of just working from home hit him hard, but then he realised he would never get any work done.

After all, why would he work when he could just spend time with his daughter (and watch Jaemin) all day?

"Daddy! Daddy look!" Minseo called out to him from by the pond, vent down with her hands delved deep into the reeds as she foraged for something. Just as Jeno was about to get up, the little girl stood up and raised her hands into the air: between her fingers was a large frog. "I found a frog!"

Jeno almost gagged at the sight of her hands covered in slight brown from the mud, duckweed trailed up her arms and a bit of algae gathered in her fingers. "Very nice, Minseo," he gritted out, "now why don't we return to froggy to his family?"

Instantly Jaemin turned away to hide his smile as Minseo visibly screwed her face in disgust. "Daddy." She stated coldly, "frogs are solitary animals, they don't have families." The repulsion on her face made Jeno pout slightly, feeling rejected by his own daughter. "Silly." She quickly turned away and made her way to a different part of the pond, frog still in hand.

Grumpily, Jeno huffed, "not my fault I never learnt about the family orientation of frogs. I was too busy keeping a roof over our heads." He would continue sulking, if it wasn't for the small, incredulous laugh from beside him. Jaemin had now shown his face and he was laughed, his eyes screwed shut as he let out melodious little giggles. "What?!" Jeno complained, only just holding back the whine in his voice.

Defensively, Jaemin raised his hands, still laughing, "nothing!" He chimed, "nothing at all! Totally not laughing at a middle aged man getting mad that his daughter is smart-"

Jeni's hand flew up to his chest, "middle-aged?!" He yelped, "I am merely 34!" He looked as though his life had been drained out of him as he slumped backwards and lay on the floor. "God, am I really that old to you?" A playful sigh fell from the CEO's lips, "I guess I should start getting my funeral funds together-"

Beside him, Jaemin rolled his eyes, pulling some food out of the basket and shoving it into Jeno's hands, "alright, Mr existential crisis, we're here to be happy and spend time with your daughter, not prepare for the day you leave her. Now eat, it will urge her to come over to eat as well." Jeno didn't give even a second thought as to what he was handed, deciding to just open it and do as the chef said. He was grateful that it wasn't something weird and that it was just an assortment of fruits. The little, wooden forks that Jaemin packed were super useful as well as he prodded at a strawberry until it was attached to his fork, and then he ate it.

It was almost as if the sound of Jeno opening the box travelled through the air and right to Minseo, because barely 5 seconds later, he could see his daughter running at full speed towards them, the frog seemingly abandoned somewhere. Just as he finally got to them and started reaching her hands forwards, Jaemin grabbed her wrists. "Nooo!" She whined as she felt the wetness of the wipe against her skin. Jaemin had planned for her messiness, "My hands will only get dirty again though!" Her pout was identical to her fathers and Jaemin felt such an urge to pinch her cheeks, however he instead huffed.

"Well, princess Minseo, your hands can get as dirty as they like, but if even one bit of duckweed gets on my food, I will make plain rice for dinner." Just like when they were getting her shoes on, Jaemin's voice was firm, not allowing for any wriggle-room, but also not so strong that he was rude or harsh. His voice couldn't be harsh, Jeno was convinced.

Finally, Minseo sat down with them, her arms and hands cleared of mud, water, and the random assortment of plants. Her dress was a mess, however that was a given with just how adventurous she was. All the food Jaemin had made during the morning was expected to be too much, however he forgot to counter in the fact that an energetic and constantly moving Minseo also meant a hungry Minseo. She managed to tear through three boxes of an assortment of food before running off to play again.

Once again she left the pair together.

As Jeno looked at Jaemin, he saw that soft, adoring smile formed as the silver-ette watched Minseo play. He loved every feature of Jaemin's face no matter the expression, but this particular smile had Jaemin's eyes sparkle as if there were a million stars all exploding at once; had his cheeks lighting up with a soft dusted pink as if cherry blossoms had bloomed within his skin; had his lips tug upwards as if string were attached. Jeno loved every aspect of this smile, and he loved who it was aimed at... but most of all, he loved the man it belonged to.

At first he tried to deny his feelings, then he tried to live with them.

However, after a while, living with feelings feels like dying if you are living without the person. And while yes, he technically had Jaemin in his house almost 24/7, he did not have Jaemin for himself. He didn't get the privilege of waking up next to Jaemin, the privilege of holding Jaemin's hand, of kissing him, of holding him. He didn't have the privilege to do the things he wanted with no fear.

Jaemin was so perfect, so pretty, so kind, and snappy, while being playful all at the same time. He was just the perfect marriage material, perfect dating material. It hurt to not have him the way he wanted. "You're perfect." Jeno let the words slip off of his tongue as he stared at the younger, his words catching Jaemin's attention. Yet, even as Jaemin looked into his eyes, that cherry blossom brush turning to a cherry red, he didn't break eye contact. "You're so perfect, Nana."

Wind gushed past them, filling the empty silence between them as Jaemin scanned the elder's face for any sign of joking or teasing, and when nothing came back, he only laughed in disbelief. "Thank you, sir. But I assure you I am not perfect." He couldn't help but deny the very idea that his employer was flirting with him. He couldn't allow that to be true. So he stood up before Jeno could say anything further, and made an excuse. "I'm going to go find Minseo."

And just like that, the silver-haired chef was walking away.

"God dammit." Jeno cursed himself under his breath as he lay back and stared at the sky, shovelling food inside his mouth (something he should have done before he scared Jaemin away). 'Of course he would be weirded out, he is way out of your league.' Jeno thought to himself, more melon being stuffed into his cheeks.

Meanwhile, Jaemin was sat under the weeping willow, knees tugged to his chest and his face buried in his knees, the only exposed feature being his bright red, blush-tipped ears that peaked from his hair. If he were any more embarrassed, he was convinced he would be steaming from the head like you see in cartoons.

"Nana," Minseo called out, approaching him before pouting at the lack of response. "Nana~" her sing song tone was successful at bringing Jaemin's eyes up, and she grinned at his red face, "did daddy say something unbelievable again?"

She really was too smart for her own good.

Jaemin let out a whiny laugh as he nodded, "yes, your daddy sure is unpredictable and really hard to read, Minnie." He slowly unravelled himself as Minseo came to hug him, her small arms not reaching around him in the slightest, but he still held her close as he sighed. "Oh Minseo, what do I do? I completely panicked and now he is gonna think I don't like him."

Within the years that Jaemin had been looking after Minseo, they had become best friends and told each other anything: secrets, gossip, crushes. So Minseo knew all about the way Jaemin's heart stuttered and plummeted around her father. However she also knew how much her father loved Jaemin back.

"It's simple really," she started, "confess to him."

Pulling away from the hug with a soft sigh, Jaemin shook his head. "I wish it was that easy, however it isn't like telling your friend you like them. It takes a lot more consideration. He is my boss, he is also your father, and I don't want to intrude more than I have to."

Minseo frowned slightly, "don't you want to be like my real dad though?"

Of course he did. Of course he wanted to wake up every day knowing that Minseo wasn't just some kid he got paid to look after. Of course he wanted to know it would be a long term thing.

However he didn't.

How could he possibly know if it would be a long term thing.?

His relationship would be frowned upon, a poor boy working for (and then falling in love with) a rich man, seducing a rich man for money is how others would see it, and he would ruin Jeno's image. It was so much more than Minseo could know, but he wasn't going to tell her that.

Softly, Jaemin sighed and smiled gently at the little girl, "let's go back to daddy and eat something, yeah?" His stomach growled despite the fact it had been fed not long ago, and he really needed a drink.

Once they returned to their picnic spot, the two of them couldn't help but grin at the sight of Jeno fast asleep, hand still holding his fork that was delved into the melon. Wordlessly, Jaemin pulled a floppy hat from his bag and placed it over the elder's face to make sure he didn't get sunburn while he slept.

"Your daddy must be exhausted," Jaemin muttered with a slight coo to his tone, sitting down on the blanket and quietly opening some of the warm food containers. Minseo joined him, using a hushed voice while asking for food.

An hour and a half passed, the two of them sat quietly eating and relaxing while Jeno slept, and slept. Until finally, he groaned, slumber leaving him and his consciousness returning to him. The first thing he did as he woke up, was take hold of the hat and perch it upon his head, sitting up and huffing softly.

Every little stretch of his body called for a groan of ache and tire, the nap probably only making him feel even sleepier and lucid. "Good morning, sleepy head." Jaemin chimed, not too loudly of course, Minseo copying him with a short giggle at the end of her sentence.

"Ah," Jeno groaned, "did I fall asleep? Sorry, it's just so hot and nice, I couldn't help but drift off." The next thing Jeno did, was lift his hand that was holding the fork, a piece of melon attached to the end, and put it in his mouth, eating the fruit.

Minseo grinned, "me and Nana-"

("Nana and I," Jaemin hastily corrected her.)

"-were talking about what movie to watch tonight." She continued, ignoring Jaemin's words. "I wanna watch a horror movie, but-"

Jaemin intercepted again, "Minseo, you know you don't like horror movies."

This time, it was her turn to correct the silver-ette, "-but, Nana doesn't like horror movies." The glare the little girl received from the chef was hilarious in Jeno's eyes.

The two bickered quietly while Jeno thought. And thought. And then finally stopped thinking. "I think a horror movie would be great, nothing too gory though, maybe just one of those stereotypical thrillers." Jaemin wished that Jeno had thought a little more.

-♦️-

It began getting dark, the food was eaten, and the bugs were swarming, so the family (+Jaemin) decided to go indoors and retire from their picnic plans. "I'll give Minseo a bath and get her in her pyjamas, you alright to handle the food?" Jeno asked politely, holding onto Minseo's arms to avoid her getting dirt anywhere near the clean walls.

With a small thumbs up from Jaemin, Jeno finally left up the stairs and started to run the bath, helping the little girl out of her dress and into the tub once it had filled half way with warm water.

Jaemin, on the other hand, was equal parts thrilled and horrified at the idea of movie night. However he still filled two bowls with popcorn (one sweet, one salty) and took them to the living room and placing them on the coffee table, before taking the blankets and piling them up on the couch (the same one that he slept on the previous night). .

He knew it was going to be fun, but he couldn't help but shiver at the idea of what movie they would put on. To try and take his mind of it, he focused on preparing hot drinks for himself and Jeno, and a bottle of water for Minseo. No coffee for either him nor Jeno, only caffeine-free tea.

As he looked around the living room, the three drinks settled beside the popcorn, he couldn't help but praise himself for how comfy it looked. The couch was big, but he knew they would end up squished into the middle because Minseo refused to sit anywhere but his or Jeno's laps when watching movies, so he sat down near the middle of it and waited, hearing shuffling and movement from upstairs. "Hurry before I eat all the popcorn!" He decided to yell out, knowing Minseo was probably messing around.

And he guessed correct, because a few moments later, the pair came downstairs with Minseo pouting, "don't eat my popcorn, Nana!" And Jeno had a look of relief on his face. Instantly, she hopped up on Jaemin's lap, wriggling around to get herself comfy while pulling her fluffy, lilac coloured blanket up to cover them.

"I would never," Jaemin grinned, cuddling her close and laughing at her small noise of dissatisfaction. "Well? What movie do you have planned?" It was only once Jeno sat down, that he saw how the elder's Streaming-service account was flooded with horror films and documentaries. "Jesus, ever watch a fun movie?" Jeno laughed, low and rough before scanning through the films, claiming that Minseo's account was for the fun stuff.

The darkness of the room was already making Jaemin's exhausted head loll back a bit as he supressed a yawn, his eyes felt heavy but he wanted to stay awake and spend time with the two of them. He wanted to be awake for the time he spends with his employer. He wants to be awake with Jeno.

However, he soon wished he had fallen asleep earlier.

Tears gathered in his eyes as try watched the movie, his throat tight from suppressing screams and his legs jittering (a motion that was fun for Minseo, but not so much for Jaemin). Every jump-scare felt like it would cause his heart to break through his chest and fall to the floor, and there were a lot of them.

It seemed as though Jeno picked up on the silver-ette's fear, as he pretending to yawn, his hand raising into the air before securing its place around Jaemin's shoulders; and much to his surprise, the latter actually leant into his touch. Jaemin's eyes were fixed to the screen but his body gravitated towards Jeno, and Jeno accepted him, his hand rubbing comfortingly against the wide shoulder.

By the time the movie ended, Jaemin was half way to crying and the bowls of popcorn were empty. Minseo had fallen asleep and Jeno was trying to figure out how to get her to bed without waking her or disturbing Jaemin too much. "Mind if I grab her from you and carry her upstairs?" He asked quietly, standing up and making a small motion with his arms to signify what he wanted to do.

At Jaemin's nod, Jeno picked up the little girl princess style and hushed her back to sleep when she started to make small noises. He started to go upstairs but he couldn't go more than two steps before realising Jaemin was following. It wasn't an issue until he realised a small tug against the back of his shirt where Jaemin's fist trapped the fabric.

"Can I come?" Jaemin whispered, looking down at his own feet.

Eyes casted towards the male that stood just a few steps below him, Jeno realised just how much Jaemin really couldn't be left alone after that movie. With a small, reassuring smile (which Jaemin didn't see) Jeno muttered a small, "of course" before continuing upstairs, feeling the timid man trail behind him.

They gently put Minseo to bed, Jaemin helping with the blankets before they left the room and quietly closed the door, standing awkwardly outside of it. Before Jaemin could open his mouth for any words at all, Jeno took hold of his wrist gently and pulled him to his own room. "Wait- J-Jeno."

The CEO didn't give Jaemin even a second to argue as he pulled him in and closed the door. "Stay with me tonight. You didn't sleep much yesterday and you're clearly shaken up by the film, so just..." He couldn't quite finish his thoughts, his actions thus far were already ballsy enough, yet he still didn't have the guts to say 'just don't leave me.'

Quietly, Jaemin kept his head lowered, making the elder terrified that he had messed up again. Until Jaemin finally spoke, nothing more than a little whisper. "Thank you," he quietly said as he made his way to the edge of Jeno's bed and sat down on it, his cheeks visibly flushed red.

For the first time in years, Jeno had invited another person into his bed. His sacred, lonely place, was not shared with Jaemin, if even just for one night. And he could feel his own anxiousness jittering through his nerves and frying his blood as it boiled in his cheeks.

"So-"

"I-"

Instantly, both of them turned bright red as they spoke at the same time, looking at each other with both surprise and embarrassment before Jaemin turned away and pulled the covers away from the bed so that he could hide himself under it. "Good night, Jeno."

Still stood up, Jeno bit his bottom lip, his small laugh barely holding back at the ridiculous situation. Or rather, how ridiculous he felt. He quite literally dragged the poor man to his bedroom but he can't even work up the word he wants to say? He felt pathetic more than anything, and he knew Donghyuck would laugh at him if he knew.

The thought of his work pal made him frown slightly as he realised he had to go into work the following day, even on a Sunday while everyone else was at home with their families, he went into work to handle clients who couldn't arrange in the week.

He gave up his time for people who left work early to go see their wives and husbands. The more he thought, the more his grit his teeth and furled his fists, frustrated that this was his life.

Just as he felt himself boiling over, he heard Jaemin's soft voice. He heard him before he saw him, before he saw the way the younger male looked at him while sat up in the bed with soft, sleepy eyes.

"Come to bed." Jaemin beckoned, and Jeno melted. Every bit of anger and disappointment disappeared as he realised he was wasting his time worrying about what was to come rather than living in the moment.

Living in the present where he has Jaemin calling him to sleep. It was a present he would pray to have every day of his life.

With a gentle smile in return, Jeno hummed and took off his shirt, "you don't mind do you?" He asked as he flung his shirt to the other side of the room and started getting into bed beside the younger. He felt the way Jaemin's eyes scanned over his built torso.

Swallowing down his saliva, Jaemin took a short breath, "not at all." And with that, Jeno slid under the covers (the same covers that Jaemin were under) and settled into bed- (the same bed that Jaemin was lay on). Silence drifted over them as they both lay down, subconsciously facing each other.

After a moment of them just looking at each other, the tension thick in the air, Jeno smiled. "Thank you for today. For being there for Minseo. For making me breakfast and dinner. Thank you for cleaning the house and tending to the garden." He continued, "thank you for being the father I couldn't be, and for being the parent she deserves."

Immediately Jaemin shuffled a bit closer and sucked in a sharp breath, working up the courage to cup Jeno's face with one hand. "You are an amazing father, Jeno. Please don't think that you are anything less, because Minseo treasures every moment she has with you. She brags about you to her friends, and she knows how busy you are."

He sighed slightly, "I'm not Minseo's father, you are, and to her, nobody can replace you. The only thing she is missing is a motherly figure, and that is the role I wish to fill..." He paused, "and not just in her life."

It was cryptic.

Each part of his final sentence made Jeno feel so lost, and yet found- so walled in yet transparent.

He had never felt so close to someone before, save for perhaps Minseo.

As they stared into each others eyes, Jaemin's softened and he leant up, pressing his peach lips to the elder's forehead before removing himself from Jeno completely. "Good night, Jeno." He turned over, his back to Jeno and he closed his eyes to try and force sleep, to try and ignore the way his heart races and pounded in his ears; to ignore the way his head felt like it would explode with all the blood rushing to it.

Yet that pulsing stopped as he felt Jeno's warm body press to his back, hugging him from behind with his nose buried in the nape of his silvery hair. "I'd love for you to fill that role, Na Jaemin."

Neither of them were close to falling asleep, however they acted like it, for the comfort of the other person. They could feel each other's hearts, Jaemin counting every single one of Jeno's heart beat and Jeno breathing in time with Jaemin's.

Eventually, those pattering sounds that kept them both awake, also lulled them to sleep, Jaemin still entrapped in Jeno's arms.

-♦️-

As always, Jaemin was the first to wake up, his eyes bleary and his body not quite where his mind was in terms of how awake he was. Which was probably why he didn't register the arm around his waist and the body pressed to his back for a good five minutes.

But then he did notice it, and the feeling jumpstarted every nerve in his body.

He didn't move, but his eyes were now wide open and his muscles were tensed in an attempt to not disturb his sleeping employer. Thoughts of their small exchange from last night made him burn red. The memory of Jeno's final statement filled his heart with love and his stomach with butterflies; things were steadily becoming more clear.

Before, he couldn't distinguish Jeno's actions and words as 'love' or 'endearment' however with this forward step in their relationship, he felt like he was starting to understand where things stood, where their line was (even if it was rather scribbled).

It made him feel more secure.

Slowly, a small hum sounded out behind him as Jeno's face pressed into his back, the elder managed to slide himself down further Jaemin's back while they slept so his face no longer rested against the chef's nape, but rather between his shoulder blades.

Gathering his courage, Jaemin sucked in a deep breath, exhaling it gently before coming sweetly, "good morning." His voice was quiet, "can I get up to make breakfast? Minseo should be awake any moment now, and I have slept in past my normal time-"

Jeno groaned slightly and sat up, ruffling his own bed head before swinging his legs off the side of the bed, "I can do it, take a nap for now, you never get lay-ins anymore." Before Jaemin could complain and refuse, Jeno had picked up his dressing gown off a chair in the corner of the room and gone to wake up Minseo.

He left Jaemin staring at the closed door in surprise and a bit of disappointment - just maybe he wished that Jeno would stay in bed with him, and Minseo could come get them both later.

With a small sigh, Jaemin lay back down, the comfort of the bed willing him to just curl up under the covers (which distinctly smelt of Jeno). However, as he was laying there, completely alone, he couldn't help but feel as though he were wasting time.

He had energy, he slept enough, so why did he have to stay in bed?

So instead, he stood up and started cleaning the room, picking up Jeno's dirty clothes, remaking the bed, opening the curtains to let some light in. And then he took the washing downstairs.

As he was going down, he heard Jeno and Minseo in the kitchen, the clinking of a spoon to porcelain reaching his ears but quickly becoming background sound as they spoke. "Is Nana still asleep?" Minseo asked, "he wasn't in his room when I went in there before."

Jeno's rough laugh formed a pink in Jaemin's cheeks, "of course you didn't. Nana slept in my bed last night after being scared of the movie." Instantly, Jaemin pouted slightly, annoyed that Jeno had told Minseo. "Minseo, how would you feel about spending tonight at Haechannie's house? He can look after you while me and Nana do something together."

This made Jaemin completely stop in his tracks, eyes wide and mind faltering. Jeno wanted to do something with him? He knew this wasn't something he was meant to be hearing.

"After my meeting, I can tell Haechan to come here and you can go sleep over with him." Jeno said, so certain in his tone, "just one thing. Do you promise to keep a secret for me?"

As soon as he heard that, Jaemin began walking again, going far away enough in the house that he wouldn't be able to hear Jeno's secret. In fact, he went so far that he decided to use this spare washing machine in the shed rather than the perfectly fine one in the house.

As he emptied the clothes into the machine, adding scents and cleaning liquids, he sighed. Once the machine turned on and started making it's noise, he squatted down and leant his head against it, hoping the motion would divert his attention from the thoughts in his head.

It didn't.

He couldn't possibly get the thought of spending time alone with Jeno out of his head, not when the elder made it so clear that he had something planned. He kept wondering what that secret was and he wished he didn't value other's privacy so much. If he had just stayed a second longer...

"Jaemin?"

Scared out of his mind, Jaemin turned around, causing his balance to falter and his ass to hit the floor. Jeno stood at the doorway to the shed, a confused look on his face. "Hi." Jaemin blurted out, flustered and ashamed of the fact he probably looked incredibly foolish.

With a small, almost playful smile, Jeno walked over and held his hand out, "how come you are doing the washing in here? Actually, why are you washing at all? I told you to lay in."

As Jaemin took the elder's hand, slightly surprised by the strength used to pull him up from the floor, he sighed, "I don't lay in, like, ever. Feels like a waste of time-"

The grin of Jeno's face was like that of a shark, "you didn't mind sleeping in my bed when I came home the other day." Jaemin instantly retracted his hand and pouted at the tease, "I'm joking, I am glad you took a nap, Minseo seemed to like it too. speaking of which, I have to go to my morning meeting, however I will be back earlier today."

I know. Jaemin wanted to say, however he kept his mouth shut and simply nodded, letting the CEO lead him back into the house while twittering on about what he had to do at work.

It felt kinda shameful but Jaemin really didn't care what Jeno was doing at work today, he much more wondered what would happen after work. "Anyway," Jaemin snapped back into reality, "I'll be returning with Haechan but he won't be here long."

I know. Jaemin repeated in his head, a small squint of displeasure on his features as he remembered his past meeting with Jeno's secretary. It seemed as though the latter picked up on his mood as well, a short laugh making its way out.

"You can always hide in my room to get away from him."

As they entered the kitchen, Jaemin caught himself staring at the back of Jeno's neck before glancing around slightly. And then he did something he never thought he would. He held the back of Jeno's shirt and stopped him from walking, before pressing close and kissing the space he was staring at so longingly.

Silence drifted between them for a second, "I'll go get Minseo dressed. Have a good day at work." Jaemin whispered, and before Jeno could turn around, Jaemin had disappeared upstairs and into Minseo's room.

With that tingly feeling at the back of his neck, Jeno smiled and rubbed against where Jaemin's lips pressed, "I can't tell if that is revenge or a confession... Let's go with both."

Meanwhile, Jaemin leant against Minseo's door with red splashed over his features as if he had been dunked in paint. "Minseo, what secret did your father tell you to keep." The poor little girl just looked up at him with a grin.

"Did Nana do something unbelievable this time? Also, a secret is a secret for a reason - to be kept." Jaemin cursed himself for teaching Minseo that secrets were personal and not good to share. "Is daddy leaving for work now?"

Pouting slightly, Jaemin sat on the floor, "firstly, yes, Nana did do something unbelievable. Secondly, what if this is a secret that you can tell me as well? And thirdly, yes, he's going right about-" the front door opened and the safety pin beeped "- now."

In return, Minseo only looked at him, "Nana is unbelievable for going back on his words. A secret is a secret, kept between the secret teller and keeper. Did the secret teller tell you the secret?" Slowly, Jaemin shook his head. "Exactly. A secret keeper cannot tell a non-secret knower without the secret teller's permission-"

Groaning, Jaemin tilted his head back, "enough with the secret talk, yeah? Gosh I should have never taught you so well."

Gently, Minseo came over and smiled softly, sitting in front of Jaemin with a stuffed Samoyed plush in her arms. "You've taught me great things. The other kids at school are going to hate me." Ah, Minseo was starting proper school soon, which meant Jaemin would be needed less.

With a sad smile, Jaemin shook his head, "nobody could ever hate you, Minnie. And if they say mean things, then show them to me. I will teach them a lesson." It was a complete and utter bluff, however he knew that Minseo would be adored wherever she goes, because that is just the way she is.

Adorable, loving, compassionate, sweet. She really took after her father.

"So, do you want to go have a tea party in the living room with all your teddies?" An obvious yes. "then let's go!"

-♦️-

Work sucked, the meeting sucked, and Jeno felt himself completely exhausted. However, the drive home became exhilarating, the small conversation over the phone with Haechan was more delightful with drawling, and pulling up onto the gravel drive way was the best sound Jeno had ever heard.

Haechan soon pulled up in the drive way as well, meeting Jeno at the front before they headed in, the elder of the pair getting excited as he heard Minseo's little giggles from the living room. So he rushed in there, only to be stopped in his tracks at the entrance.

"Daddy's home!" Minseo yelled out, luring her father in to see what Haechan was so surprised at; Then, as he peaked in, he saw it.

Jaemin stood in the middle of the room, one of Minseo's tiaras on his head and a pink tutu stretched around his waist over his pants. As he stared up at Jeno, his face only grew a more vibrant pink hue. "We... Had a tea party." He whispered, eyes not leaving Jeno's, as if looking away would cause his world to fall down around him.

It seemed as though only he and Jeno were stuck in this trance though, as Minseo happily ran over to Haechan, Squeaking when she was picked up. "Let's go pack you a bag, huh? Maybe I'll just keep you forever-" Haechan teased, his voice surprisingly growing quieter as he went upstairs with his boss' daughter.

Silently, Jaemin pulled the tiara off of his head and tugged at the edge of the skirt. "I'm sorry-"

He was quickly cut off by Jeno's short huff, "don't apologise, you looked cute. I am sure Minseo has roped you into worse, and believe me, you're not the first guy to wear a tutu and a tiara because of her." He saw the look of almost saddened curiosity, and quickly retracted his words. "Me, I have."

Relief quickly flushed over Jaemin, visibly relaxing as he still struggled to pull off the tutu, eventually getting Jeno's help to do it. "Thank you." His voice had grown timid and shy, making Jeno frown slightly, until Jaemin looked at him through his eyelashes and smiled coyly, "help me tidy up?"

They spent time tidying the tea party from the living room, stacking the numerous plushies in one corner while Jaemin stored the tea so that he could drink it cold later. Once they finished, it seemed as though Minseo and Haechan had as well. Minseo's fancy little suitcase wheeling behind her.

With one eyebrow quirked, Jeno hummed, "you know you are going for one night, right?" And Minseo sassily looked him up and down before turning away.

"Haechannie has said he can keep me."

It seemed as though that was the end of that conversation and she took hold of Haechan's pinkie and pulled him out; Jaemin was grateful that the secretary wasn't given time to tease him due to Minseo's hurry to leave.

As the front door shut, Jaemin felt himself grow heavier under the atmosphere that seemed to spawn in the air. It wasn't quite awkward or tense, but is definitely wasn't chilled and relaxed. And even Jeno seemed a bit skittish next to him. "So, want to go out for dinner?" The elder asked, a shy smile on his face as he turned to the chef.

Without having much of a reply to say, Jaemin just nodded and muttered a small, "sure, let me go get changed."

-♦️-

An hour later they arrived at a restaurant, the sun slowly setting as Jaemin followed almost timidly behind Jeno. "Jeno, this place seriously looks too fancy for me." He was anxious, he knew that a restaurant this big and fancy must also be expensive. However the smile Jeno gave him was so reassuring and kind.

"Jaemin, let me treat you. You've done so much for me." And while he wasn't wrong, Jaemin couldn't help but feel like he was being a burden. "Here." Jeno spoke calmly as they went to the upper floor, the noise and bustle of the ground floor slowly fading away as they stepped into a more private area.

Awe struck deep in Jaemin's chest as he looked around the open floor plan with very few tables, only one or two with people sat either side of it. Yet, Jeno kept walking, getting to an area that was blocked off before talking quietly to a person, who opened up the area just to them. "Jeno." Jaemin muttered, slightly startled as the elder grinned back at him.

Gently, Jeno took hold of Jaemin's hand, "I hope you don't mind a bit of privacy." To be honest, a bit was quite the understatement. On a small, open balcony was only one table with two chairs, flowers decorating the railings and the perfect view of the sun glowing at a blushing red hue sat just upon the horizon.

It was gorgeous, and Jaemin couldn't say much more as he was lead to his seat. The bouquet in the centre of the table was completely different to the singular roses at the tabled inside, and the candles that lit the entire balcony flicked at the air almost enticingly.

He sat down in his chair, eyes wide and staring in wonder as Jeno sat opposite him, smiling warmly. "Do you like it?" He asked quietly, the gentle buzz of the few people walking below them serving as an atmospheric noise as Jaemin took everything in.

With a small laugh, almost like a scoff, Jaemin looked at Jeno and shook his head slightly. "Like it? No, I love it, it is gorgeous, but why... And how? How on earth did you find the time to do this? To plan this? To book this?"

Sharply, Jeno's laugh cut him off, "well, it was easy to get this booking, and planning it didn't take long because I knew exactly what I wanted and needed. What I wanted, was a nice place to eat, and I needed it to have you in it." Slowly, he lifted the champagne bottle poured the younger a drink, "and the why, is to be answered a little later, so I hope you can be patient with me." He poured into his own glass, his amount being less than Jaemin's for the obvious reason that he was driving.

Jaemin took the glass between his fingers and swirled if around a little, "I won't have much more than this. Alcohol isn't exactly my forte to be honest." Jeno almost jumped to an apology but Jaemin's sweet smile held him back. "Thank you, this is such a nice setting. And I hear the food reviews for here are incredible as well."

Eventually, their conversation whittled down into small talk about their daily like, the topic of Minseo coming up shortly before they started talking about childhoods, schools, external friends (which Jeno was surprised to find out that Jaemin actually had many friends.)

"I'm sorry, you should be able to see them more often, if you ever want a day off of work then do tell me because Minseo can either be at school or go to her grandmother's." Jeno frowned slightly, worried that he was holding the younger back form his blossoming friendships, however Jaemin waved his words off.

"Not at all, Jeno. They understand my job is important to me and they are all busy getting married, working, or viewing the world with their overly rich boyfriends." He laughed softly, however Jeno felt his chest tighten slightly as he put down his knife and fork.

"I could take you to view the world..." He said, boldly. His eyebrow slightly quirked as he looked at Jaemin. "Haven't you ever wanted to?"

Jaemin's smile slowly drooped, "would you have the time to?" He felt a little harsh as he said it, but Jeno only nodded.

"I could make time for you."

The sun casted a subtle, red hue across them, the sky mostly being a deep, toned blue but just the rim where the earth and sky collided was a burst of autumnal, vivid colours. As their eyes met from across the table, it felt like a new possibly was being opened to them both, a air of seriousness and love clashing but from the clash came a certainty, a promise, silent yet true.

A promise that they were getting somewhere, that even through their cryptic talks, they understood each other perfectly.

After that, they continued eating, their dinner going down smoothly, and dessert being done in a flash. Jaemin found himself having more champagne than he promised himself he would, but the light buzz only made him slightly more confident.

Darkness filled the sky, the sun completely set, as Jeno walked Jaemin could of the restaurant after paying the bill in full. "Are we going home?" Jaemin asked, rubbing sleepily at his eyes before Jeno pulled his hands away and chastised him gently for the action.

"I did have somewhere else in mind, but if you want to go to bed, then let's go. I can still tell you that 'why' from before no matter where we are." This made Jaemin suspicious but he just hummed, claiming that 'home is the best way to go,' before plopping himself in Jeno's passenger seat.

The drive back was quiet, with gentle noises coming from Jaemin every time he knew some of the lyrics to the songs playing over the radio. Once they arrived back, Jaemin seemed more than thrilled to get into the house and slide his shoes off at the entrance, his jacket slowly coming off as well and being strung up on the coat hangers beside Jeno's.

As Jaemin started to head upstairs, Jeno stopped him, "hey... Do you mind maybe staying in my bed again tonight?" And Jaemin didn't have half the mind to reject the elder, not after how the night had gone- not to mention he was so curious about the secret thing Jeno had to share.

"Of course." He chimed before making his way to Jeno's room (something that had very quickly changed from a limit to a safe space for him).

In the middle of the bed, Jaemin flopped himself down and yawned softly, shifting over to the side of the bed that he had slept on the previous night and burying his head into the cool pillow, smiling when the bedroom door closed with all the lights off. "Nana?" Jeno asked as he approached the bed, once again stripping himself of his shirt.

"Yeah?" Jaemin replied.

Gently, Jeno lay down on the bed, facing Jaemin, their eyes meeting even through the darkness of the room. "I hope you'll stay here forever. I really love you, and I've never felt so much love to someone before. At first it was only Minseo in my life, but then you came along and changed everything I once knew about love."

As he spoke, they both edged closer to each other, until they could faintly feel their breaths on each others faces. "You've changed my definition of love, and you've changed my priorities. Taking days off work felt like a myth to me, however it is because of you that I realise I can take my time off for the people I treasure."

I really love you. The words echoed in Jaemin's mind as he felt a clump father in his throat.

"I treasure you, Na Jaemin, and I don't want this relationship we have to stay as an employee/employer relationship. I want more, and if I know you like I think I do, then you want the same thing... Right?"

Before Jeno could even get a solid answer or reply, his body was swarmed by the younger's arms, his lips slotted between Jaemin's own ones. It was warm and strangely wet- or maybe that was the tears that escaped Jaemin's eyes. Either way, Jeno felt so overwhelmed, yet grounded by the action.

They parted for a second, only for Jaemin to whisper a small yes, then a kiss, and then "I love you." Before he pressed their foreheads together, hot shaking breaths breaking past his lips. It felt like a dam had broken and their was nothing holding them back anymore; nothing preventing their emotions or feelings, nothing stopping them from expressing themselves to each other. It felt exhilarating.

For a few minutes, they held each other close, sharing light, pretty little kisses with short laughs of both disbelief that it took them this long, and also gratitude that they were allowed to have each other. "You know," Jeno started, "Minseo is gonna be so glad that she can stop being the wing-woman."

Sharply, Jaemin pulled back, mouth slightly agape, "so you knew?!"

"Of course I did," Jeno replied, "she is my daughter. You may have taught her about promises but she is a business woman at heart, she knows how to do things effectively and efficiently."

A moment of silence...

"So yes Minseo constantly dropped hints to me about your feelings." A few not-so-gentle slaps were placed to jeno's arms as Jaemin whined softly, complaining about how Jeno abused his right as a father until his wrists were taken hold of and his back was pressed to the bed with Jeno leaning over him, "well, maybe now I can use my lover privileges?"

Ah, lovers, that was a title for them now. A title for the relationship they shared and for what they would be seen as. "I think I chose a pretty damn good lover," Jeno chuckled, leaning down gently to peck Jaemin on the lips, the younger returning the kiss with a short, 'yes, you did.'

After another round of cute kisses, Jeno finally let Jaemin free and rolled over to the side, facing his newly labelled partner and taking hold of his hand. "I know I already said it, but I love you. So much."

Even if Jeno couldn't see it in the dark, Jaemin flushed pink, squeezing the fingers laced between his own. "I love you too. More than anything."

-♦️-

"Dad, Nana, I am going out with my friends!" Minseo called out as he grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. Over the years, she had grown into such a gorgeous and fun girl, learning her horrible jokes from her dad, and learning some questionable social skills from Nana, but that only added to her character- a character that people adored.

Before she could leave however, Jaemin rushed towards her and checked her outfit, patting her pockets before taking her keys from the key hook besides the door and dropping them in her bag. "Minseo, what have I said about the keys, come on. If you want me and your dad to go on a cruise then you have to at least let us know you can use your own house keys."

Jeno snuck up behind his fiance and grinned, hand wrapped around his waist lovingly, "or maybe we could leave Haechan to baby sit her?" He jested, kissing Jaemin's cheek gently and laughing when Minseo faked gagging, "hey! You used to love our relationship."

"Yeah, when I was like 4 maybe. I am 17 now, I can look after myself for a week while you guys are away. Though, Haechannie does throw great parties." She grinned, identical to her father's, as she saw the mother in Jaemin awaken and a stern look of seriousness form.

Before Jaemin could get any words out, she rushed out the door, "I'll be back at 5:00!!" She yelled as she climbed onto the back of her "friend's" motor bike and pulled on a helmet, the girl driving the bike waving before driving off.

Jaemin glared and went to grab his phone but his hand was taken hold of by Jeno instead, steadily guiding him towards the living room in an almost dance-like motion. "Jeno," he half-scolded.

"Jaemin," Jeno chimed back more playfully, turning a gentle dance track before taking hold of both of his hands and twirling him around, "what do you say we practice our wedding dance? Leave the girl to live a little."

Not even a comeback sat on the tip of Jaemin's tongue this time as he smiled at Jeno, a familiar feeling blush settling on his cheeks as he began to follow the fluid, waltz-esc steps that they had practiced only the previous night. "Again? You seem to love it more than you love me." He teased.

Jeno only laughed gruffly, following Jaemin's steps in an elegant manner which could be seen as surprising given his build. "I love it because I get to be close to you, to hold your hands, to lean in close and kiss you-" finally, he took hold of Jaemin's waist and leant him down, supporting his back as he did so, and placing a small kiss to his nose, "- like this."

Jaemin raised an eyebrow and laughed, "just like that? Not even going to kiss your husband on the lips on your wedding day?"

In return, Jeno only grinned, "why wait for the wedding day to have our honeymoon?"

Light giggles fluttered through the house as Jaemin was picked up and flung over Jeno's shoulder, yelling about how this wasn't a part of the dance before squealing when Jeno carried him upstairs and into their bedroom.

The same bedroom where they first confessed their feelings all those years ago.

♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️