Chapter Text
“Jeno.” Jaehyun turned around, pocketing the phone inside of his suit’s breast pocket, fully intending to find his son standing behind him where he’d left him, patiently waiting for his call to end.
Jeno wasn’t there.
“Jeno?”
He looked to the right and then to the left. The aquarium’s dark blue lighting made it difficult to see; but he couldn’t smell his son’s scent either.
Heart already beating a harsh staccato beat, he started walking around, trying to spot a glimpse of his child.
“Jeno!”
Oh fuck.
Fuck.
What if he’d been taken? Jeno was smart, he took after his alpha Father in that regard, and he was most definitely wary of strangers, so he could not have approached anyone on his own. No, if he left it was because somebody had to have grabbed him.
No.
He cannot panic.
Cursing himself for taking the call in the first place; he pulled out his phone once more, trying to calm his trembling fingers. It was only when he opened the family locating application that he remembered.
Jeno had left his smartwatch in the car earlier, after telling him it was out of battery.
“Jeno!” He prayed to anyone who was listening that his son was still inside of the building.
He needed to call the police.
There was nobody at the aquarium, it made sense considering it was an early Saturday morning. Jaehyun was supposed to have his day off, spending the entirety of it with Jeno.
He tried to scent the air, searching for a hint of Jeno’s distinctive smell, but the aroma of chlorinated water and fish was too strong.
A tentative tap made him whirl around.
“Dad?” Jeno was standing there, smiling up at him as though Jaehyun hadn’t just panicked over the thought of losing his son.
“Where were you?!” Jeno flinched at his tone, and instantly, Jaehyun felt his heart crumble.
“Dad.” Jeno was tugging insistently at his sleeve now, and that’s when Jaehyun realized that his son wasn’t alone.
He looked to the side, the smell of strawberries and freesia invading his nose and making him dizzy.
The omega was stunning. Jaehyun was left breathless as he took in the sight of beautiful eyes and a rosebud mouth.
He’d never seen such beauty before.
“Dad! Close your mouth, you’re going to catch flies.” Jeno’s interruption causes Jaehyun to startle, he’s thankful that his hair is covering his burning ears.
The omega stifled a giggle into the back of his hand at his son’s comment. Had he not been trying to control his heart rate, he would have smiled at the lovely sight.
“Jeno, what have I told you about running off?” He’s exasperated, and honestly the alpha feels as though he’s aged ten years in the span of the last five minutes. He pointedly ignores his son’s comment, though Jeno wasn’t wrong.
He was staring.
“I figured he wasn’t here alone.” The omega says with an apologetic look at Jaehyun, before shooting a smile at Jeno. “I’m sorry for worrying you. He wanted to see me finish the drawing I was working on.”
That’s when the elder alpha realizes that the omega is holding a sketchbook in his elegant hands.
Jeno nods eagerly, confirming the omega’s words. “It’s so pretty!”
“Oh.” He doesn’t know what to say. At his rather lackluster response, Jeno huffs in annoyance, and the omega looks away awkwardly.
“Well, um, I’ll be going now.” The beautiful omega waves shyly at Jeno. “It was nice meeting you Jeno; but I think you shouldn’t worry your Father by wandering off again.”
He’s already turning on his heel, when Jaehyun calls out a loud shout. “Wait!”
Immediately the omega looks back, confused. “Yes?”
Jaehyun wonders what on earth possesses him because at that very moment he asks, “Would you like to join us for lunch?”
He has no idea why he even offered the invitation in the first place. Jaehyun sips on his coffee, watching as Jeno gasps and sighs over the beautiful drawings on the sketchbook.
Oh.
That was why.
His son was completely enthralled by the artwork, fingers ghosting reverently across the pages. Jaehyun had never seen Jeno show such interest in anything outside of his books.
Jeno was a bit of an introvert, he took after Jaehyun in that regard. Jaehyun’s Mother called him an old soul, and Jaehyun had to agree. He’d always had a hard time of making friends, and though Jaehyun knew that it was mostly due to the fact that he’d grown up around him, Johnny and Yuta, all three the very definition of alphas, he couldn’t help but worry. His son only had them to look for guidance, and though Jaehyun appreciated them beyond comprehension, he knew that Jeno could benefit from being around other people.
“You’re very talented.” Jaehyun clears his throat, offering a dimpled smile to the omega.
The omega, who had presented himself as one Lee Taeyong, laughed sweetly. “Thank you, but you’re much too kind.”
Jaehyun rather thought he was the one who was too kind. The alpha had managed to piece the story of how Jeno had let his attention wander and eventually found himself in the company of the omega, from both Taeyong and his son.
He felt guilty when Jeno said that he was on the phone, when Jaehyun had promised to devote the entire day only to his son. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to be so upset about the turn of events. (Even if he had felt like he’d suffer a heart attack just thinking he’d lost Jeno.)
After all, they had met Taeyong, hadn’t they?
Jeno stops when he comes across a particular lpage, wide eyed and wondrous. “Is that-?” Jaehyun looks down to where his son is pointing, finding a familiar looking teddy bear, whose face is pressed against the aquarium glass. It’s merely a rough sketch, but the attention to detail is amazing.
Taeyong laughs, appearing delighted, the sound of it high and tinkling like bells. Jaehyun isn’t oblivious the amount of patrons that turn to stare at them. He gives them a cold glare.
“You know of hyung’s works?” The omega asks.
“He’s a big fan.” Jaehyun murmurs, looking at the beautiful pictures in front of his son. Jeno had loved Haechan the Bear since he was a child. Jaehyun could remember them reading all of the teddy bear’s adventures together. “You drew all of them?”
The omega flushed prettily under the alpha’s stare. “Yes. I’m an illustrator. Taeil-hyung does the hard part of course, he actually writes the books, I just bring his words to life.”
Privately, Jaehyun thought that if anyone was putting in the hard work, it was Taeyong. How hard could it be to write a child’s book? Taeyong was the true artist here.
Like every time he opens one of the books about Haechan, he can’t help but think that there’s something hauntingly nostalgic about the artwork. It makes Jaehyun’s chest tighten, his own memories of the childhood he’d lived pushed to the forefront of his mind.
“Do you want to know a secret?” Taeyong leaned in conspiratorially. Unbidden, Jaehyun found himself moving closer as well. When the omega’s eyes met Jaehyun’s he felt uncharacteristically shy, and so he pulled back, clearing his throat before finishing his coffee cup.
He chalked it up to the fact that never in his twenty-seven years of life had he seen an omega as beautiful as this.
Jeno nodded, staring up at the omega with stars in his eyes. Jaehyun wondered if Jeno was thinking along the same lines.
“Haechan the Bear is based on hyung’s baby brother. He’s about your age, I think.”
Jeno gasped at this piece of information. “Is his name Haechan as well?”
Taeyong laughs. “That’s what we call him, but no, his name is Donghyuck.”
Jaehyun watches as Jeno immerses himself speaking to the omega. He’s never seen his eyes look so bright and alive.
He cannot help but think of how beautiful his son looks in that moment. Usually, Jeno is solemn and a little aloof. Right now he looks the child he very much still is.
The sound of his phone is shrill and breaks the spell that had fallen over their table, and Jaehyun knocks his elbow against the seat in his haste to stand.
He shoots Taeyong an apologetic look, Jeno is still too busy looking at the sketches, before moving off to the side, making sure to keep his son and their guest in his line of sight.
The alpha already knows what the call will be about, but that doesn’t mean he’s not annoyed with the interruption.
His secretary prattles away as soon as Jaehyun picks up the call, and the alpha cannot help the sigh that escapes his lips.
He can already feel the migraine begin to form.
“I’ll be right there.”
It was difficult, being a single Father. Jaehyun often worried he wasn’t doing enough for Jeno. He wasn’t stupid, he knew that Jeno was very much like him, but also decidedly different in important ways.
Jeno would most definitely benefit from being around an omega’s influence. Jaehyun himself had been horribly attached to his omega Mother growing up, and he firmly believed her to be the reason why he was such a well rounded individual.
The fact that the only people Jeno had around him were alphas didn’t sit right by him. Johnny and Yuta were wonderful role models, who adored Jeno to pieces, more often than not willing to indulge his whatever whim, even if Jaehyun disagreed with it.
At the end of the day though, they were alphas. Jeno needed more than what Jaehyun could offer him. He needed other influences aside from those of his alpha Father and hyungs.
He looks over across his desk. Jeno is sleeping on his leather couch, Jaehyun’s jacket draped over his small form. Like this, he looks heartbreakingly tiny.
Glancing at the clock on his computer, he clenches his jaw.
It’s past midnight.
He had promised Jeno that they would only pop in to the office for a short period of time. There was an emergency he needed to take care of.
Jaehyun hadn’t expected said emergency to last the entirety of the day.
They had both been rather disappointed when they had to part with the enigma that had been Taeyong. Jeno, at least, had voiced his thoughts out loud as they’d exchanged farewells. Taeyong had gifted the child a rough sketch of Haechan, making his son’s eyes gleam with thankfulness.
Jaehyun wished he could’ve let his son speak with Taeyong for longer.
He is sad, because this has become the norm for them. Even on his days off, he is never truly free from his position in the company. More often than not, Jeno falls asleep on his couch, Jaehyun has even toyed with the idea of changing it to something less austere and more comfortable for his son.
There’s a thought taking form in his mind, and he wonders if their odd meeting with one Lee Taeyong had anything to do with it.
He can’t keep going like this. Jeno deserves better. Jeno requires experiences that every child should have.
Jaehyun isn’t giving that to him.
His child probably spends more time at the company than the majority of the employees do. Jaehyun had been naive and foolish to think that once he inherited the family business, he would have time to spend with his son, only having to come in every so often to delegate tasks.
The alpha’s gaze wanders to the picture frame sitting on his desk. His son’s eyes are in adorable crescent moons as he beams up at the camera, smile wide and free. It makes something in Jaehyun’s chest unfurl.
He’s grabbing his phone before he can even think about what he’s planning on doing.
“Hyung, do you still have that person’s contact? The, um, the nanny that you hired to care for Chenle?”
There’s a pause. “Jaehyun? Is everything alright?” Kun doesn’t sound like he’d been sleeping, but he does sound worried at the fact that Jaehyun contacted him at such an hour.
Right.
“Hi. Yes, everything is fine.” He makes sure to keep his voice low, loathe to wake up his son. The alpha feels embarrassed for having bothered the Chinese alpha at this hour. “I’m sorry for bothering you hyung. I’ll call you later.”
“No, you’re not bothering me. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Jaehyun looked over at Jeno. “Hyung are you sure? This can wait until morning.”
Kun laughs quietly. “It clearly can’t if you’ve decided to call me right now.”
He fidgets in his desk chair, feeling unreasonably nervous. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“You were thinking you wanted to ask me if I still had the nanny’s information, correct?”
Jaehyun released a deep breath. “Yes.”
“Not that I’m complaining, but why now? I’ve told you about him before, yet you didn’t seem at all interested.”
Kun isn’t lying. Perhaps Jaehyun is a tad overprotective, but the idea of introducing a stranger into his child’s life has never appealed to him. It’s the reason why his dates are more along the lines of one night stands.
Besides, Jeno had already gone through something he’d rather his son never live through again.
“Honestly hyung? I don’t even know.” He lets his head fall back into his chair, trying to gather his thoughts. “It’s just, today, I was supposed to spend the day with Jeno. It was going fine, up until the moment the little brat decided to wander off.”
“Is he okay?” Kun asks immediately.
Jaehyun huffs out a snort. “He’s fine. He somehow managed to meet this really interesting omega, and the two hit it off immediately.”
There must be something in Jaehyun’s tone because Kun chortles. “Interesting huh? Sounds like he’s already out there breaking hearts. Takes after his Father doesn’t he?”
Jaehyun rolls his eyes, but he’s sure Kun can hear the smile on his voice all the same. “Not the point hyung.”
“Then? What is the point?”
Kun’s innocuous question opens the floodgates. “What kind of Father am I? I’m never around to see him, not substantially at least. Even on my days off, more often than not I have to come in to the company and deal with whatever crisis of the day. By the time it’s time to pick up Jeno home from school, he’s tired, I’m tired. All we do is have dinner together, while he finishes up his homework and I retreat to my office. He needs more than what I can give him.”
“So you want to hire a nanny?”
“Yes. That way Jen won’t have to stay after school having to wait for me. He can go where he wants to, without having his plans he interrupted by my job, and actually experience what it’s like to have a childhood.”
Kun makes an affronted noise. “Jaehyun-”
“Do you have it? The nanny’s number then?”
“I do.” The Chinese alpha says after a long moment. “I’ll send it over.”
True to his word, Jaehyun’s cellphone beeps with the incoming message.
“Thank you hyung.”
“You’re welcome Jaehyun-ah.” Kun sighs, and Jaehyun can imagine the way the Chinese would be running his fingers through his hair. “You know, Chenle loved him. He wouldn’t stop raving about the omega, and he even made me ask him to come live with us in China.”
“Oh?” Jaehyun raises an eyebrow. Just who was this omega that Kun had actually considered asking him to live with them full time?
“Give him a call. I hope things will work out between you.”
The anxiety suddenly gripped Jaehyun. “Is he certified? What are his qualifications?”
It’s Kun’s turn to laugh. “I think you’d best ask him that yourself, when the two of you meet.”
“If.” Jaehyun corrected.
“When, Jaehyun-ah. Listen to your hyung. I promise Jeno will love him. Besides, weren’t you the one who called me asking for his information in the first place?”
Jaehyun could hear Chenle’s signature laughter from somewhere, and he smiled as he thought about the child. “Lele says hello.” Jaehyun didn’t comment on the fact that a child of Chenle’s age should not be up at this time or night, or morning, he knew better than anyone just how much of an insomniac the pup was.
“Ask him when he’s going to come visit Jeno and I.”
Across the line, Kun hums. “I will. I know how strong you are Jaehyun. That doesn’t mean you wouldn’t benefit from having some help around.” His hyung’s voice goes serious and soft, the way it does when he wants Jaehyun to listen.
He knocked on his son’s half open door the following evening. “Nono. Can we talk?”
He has to approach this topic carefully.
When Jeno had been four years old, they had hired someone to care for him. At his Mother’s insistence, he’d found the perfect beta woman. She was highly recommend and certified. Jaehyun hadn’t wanted to do it, but he had just been stepping into his role at the family company back then, and he had too much on his plate to deal with everything single-handedly.
Jeno had not been too enthused at the prospect of being left in the care of a stranger, but he hadn’t complained, always the obedient and understanding son.
Truthfully, Jaehyun had been the one to almost cry when he had to leave his son behind. He’d hugged the little boy, making the strict beta woman grimace.
It was fine. Jaehyun told himself that multiple times. Everything would be fine.
Until it wasn’t.
He spent the entire day working, feeling irritated with himself for not being able to focus on his tasks; but also immeasurably guilty at being away from Jeno.
When he’d arrived from work that afternoon, he’d found the woman, Yoosun, waiting for him at the door. Her expression had been anything but kind, and immediately Jaehyun knew something was wrong.
She’d told him Jeno had been very rude to her, and that the child had even thrown a tantrum earlier, so she had sent him off to his room.
He’d dismissed the woman immediately, before going to the second floor to find his child.
What he’d found had sent him into a horrible rage. Jeno had been sprawled across his bed, his left cheek stained red, the imprints of large fingers still painted on his milky skin.
Jaehyun had wanted to press charges, what kind of hag would ever hurt an innocent child? Jeno had been mute, only mumbling reassurances to his Father once he realized how agitated the elder alpha was becoming. Sometimes it amazed Jaehyun just how much of a soothing balm his son could be to him.
In the end, she had been fired from the agency, Jaehyun had not pursued the matter further, but he’d told his Mother he didn’t want any strangers around Jeno in the foreseeable future.
From his place on the rug, Jeno looked up, setting aside his book. He didn’t say anything, waiting patiently for Jaehyun to walk inside. Jaehyun did, choosing to sit on the plush rug next to his son, crossing his legs together as he scooted over to the younger alpha. “What are you doing?”
Jeno looked down at the book he’d been reading. It was one of his favorites, Kun had gifted him with the entire series for his third birthday, and although three years had passed since then, he still loved to read them. “I was reading.” His son replies quietly.
Jaehyun smiles. “I have something to ask you.” When Jeno cocks his head inquisitively, he plows on. “How would you feel about hiring someone to look after you when I’m at work?”
He purposely doesn’t use the words nanny, nor babysitter. Jeno hates to be treated like a child, despite the fact that he is very much still one. Yuta has always said it’s part of the boy’s alpha nature, Johnny says it’s because he takes after Jaehyun.
Jeno seems to think about his question for a moment, before he shakes his head.
“No?” Jaehyun shifts closer, pulling the child into his lap. “Why not?”
“I’m not a baby.” Jeno huffs. Still, despite his words, he snuggles into Jaehyun’s back, reaching down to play with one of Jaehyun’s hands. It’s a habit he’s had since being a baby, something he does when he’s anxious. Jaehyun’s heart cannot help but clench when he realizes the size difference between the two of them. Jeno is so small. Jaehyun hopes that one day he will grow even bigger and stronger than him.
“I never said you were.” Jaehyun took a deep breath. “However, I know that I haven’t been spending much time with you. Even when we’re together I’m always on my phone working, aren’t I?” He smiled ruefully at his son.
Jeno craned his neck to look up at him, before he nodded, hesitant.
“Why don’t we just try it out? For a week maybe? I don’t want to sway your decision either way, but this person comes highly recommended from Kun-hyung and Lele.”
At the mention of his beloved hyung and friend, Jeno’s eyes sparkle. “Chenle?”
Jaehyun hums, stroking the elegant slope of Jeno’s nose with a long finger. “Yes. Apparently Chenle adored him so much he even wanted him to move and live with them in China.”
“Really?” Now Jeno’s interest is definitely piqued. Chenle, despite being an extrovert, didn’t like to be around strangers longer than necessary.
“Really.” Jaehyun affirmed. He let his son think for a moment before speaking up again. “So? What do you think? Should we arrange a meeting?”
The child bites at his cuticle, a nervous tic he had picked up from Jaehyun. “What if I don’t like him?”
Jaehyun shrugs easily. “Then we’ll just tell him that we’re not going ahead with his services.”
Jeno still didn’t look convinced, but he sighed, leaning back against Jaehyun’s chest resolutely. “Okay.”
“Hello?” The voice across the line sounds soft, typical in an omega.
“Good morning. This is Jeong Jaehyun. I was given your number by Qian Kun?”
There’s a pause. “Yes?”
“You come highly recommended as a-”
“Listen, I’m very sorry for interrupting you. Kun-hyung has told me all about you, and yes, I’m available to meet, it’s just-”
There’s a crash heard. Jaehyun raises an eyebrow at the confidence of the omega, to assume that those were Jaehyun’s intentions. Still, he can’t find it in himself to be annoyed.
“-right now is not a good time. Is it okay if I message you?” The omega sounded harried, and Jaehyun had barely finished replying his agreement before the line went dead.
The alpha stared at the phone in his hand, wondering if he’d just made a horrible, mistake.
He’d almost forgotten about the call, when his phone vibrated some hours later. Jaehyun opened it to see a new message.
Hi! I’m so sorry about this morning! If you’re still willing to meet, I know of a good park? I’m only suggesting this because it’s more of a neutral ground. I find children tend to be more open if they’re not ambushed in their own homes! Of course, if you would rather meet somewhere else, I completely understand!
Jaehyun blinks.
He hadn’t thought about that.
That definitely works for us. Can we meet tomorrow at four?
The reply comes in only a few seconds later.
Yes! I look forward to it!
At the bottom of the text is a link with directions to the park. Jaehyun opens it, pleasantly surprised to find that it is one Jeno’s familiar with.
He can only hope that he’s not making an error as he has his secretary clear his schedule for the afternoon the following day.
When he picks Jeno up from school, the boy is surprised to see him. Even so, he runs across the courtyard and slams into his legs.
Jaehyun laughs at the pup’s enthusiasm, immediately bending over to pick him up. “Hi, angel. How was your day?”
“Long!” Jeno sighs. “What are you doing here?” He asks his Father suspiciously. Jaehyun never comes to pick him up this early, Jeno always stays for the after school programs and is among the last of the students to be picked up at the end of the school day.
“You’ll see.” Jaehyun answers cryptically, picking up his son’s book bag as he sets Jeno on his own two feet.
Jeno doesn’t bother looking back towards the rest of his classmates, always so eager to get home instead. Jaehyun’s heart grows heavy with the knowledge that his son doesn’t have any friends in school yet. “Are we going somewhere?”
“As a matter of fact, we are. How does a trip to the park for some ice cream sound?”
The excited sparkle in Jeno’s eyes is answer enough.
The park is relatively empty. Thankfully, there is an ice cream vendor, and Jaehyun is quick to lead Jeno over and start their orders.
“Can I go to the swings?” Jeno asks politely.
“After you’ve finished your ice cream.” It’s early still, some thirty minutes before four. They eat their ice cream idly, before Jeno runs off to play on the swings, his Father keeping a careful eye on him.
As the designated time nears, he starts looking around the park.
He isn’t sure what he’s searching for, and he berates himself for not asking Kun what the person he’s waiting for even looks like. The image he’s already made of the person in his head is of an older omega, one who’s probably stout and balding. For some reason he thinks the omega would resemble Jaehyun’s own schoolteacher, an older and kind man who smelled like caramels and fresh linen.
He’d have kind eyes but enough energy to run after a child like Chenle.
Jaehyun just hoped that Jeno would like him.
Hello! I’m at the park, sitting on the bench near the large pine tree!
The alpha glanced around. There were a couple of benches scattered along the park, but only one was placed right next to a large pine tree. Jaehyun squinted as he tried to catch sight of Jeno’s potential nanny. The only person sitting on the bench looked like a young university student, curled over the bench as he worked on something inside of his notebook.
Jaehyun decided to approach the bench anyhow, looking over one last time to see Jeno still happily pushing himself on the swings. He walked over slowly. Perhaps the person they were waiting to meet was on his way?
As he gets closer to the bench a familiar scent begins to waft in his direction, the air rich and heavy with the smell of freesia and fresh berries.
…It can’t be.
The omega must’ve smelled him as well, because he looks up from his sketching, doe eyes wide. “Jaehyun-ssi?”
Jaehyun’s smile is so wide he’s sure his dimples are on full display. “Hi Taeyong-ssi, I’m guessing you’re the nanny?”