Hello, Single Father
Title: Hello, Single Father
Pairings: Siwon/Kyuhyun
Genre: Single Parent!AU
Ratings: PG-13
Warnings: Slight swearing
Summary: A broken car and a cramped trip on bus weren’t as bad as how Siwon thought his day would be. Part of Um..ma! series.
Siwon’s morning call that day wasn’t all he had expected. The alarm clock he had set last night had rung an hour late and as the alarm clock rang, his six-month-old baby, Donghae, was already crying out loud. The room stenched of something Siwon would rather not name. Rubbing his eyes, the single father sluggishly walked out of the bed and opened one of the walls of the crib to inspect the damage the baby had made.
Siwon then proceeded to wear a brand new medical mask before starting to change baby Hae’s diapers. For months since his ex-wife left Donghae on his hands, Siwon still couldn’t get used to changing the baby’s diapers or hear the baby’s cry, but then, his baby meant everything to him.
Half an hour later, the baby was clean, but it was Siwon next who need a long nice bath, or maybe a short nice bath since he was running late to the daycare then to the office.
“Alright, Hae,” Siwon closed the crib back. “Behave, okay? Daddy needs to take a bath and bring you to the daycare.”
Ten minutes later, Siwon was all fresh with a crisp white button-down suit and long black trousers, before he hurriedly made baby food for Hae and with much difficulty tried to fed the baby, only for half of the food to be thrown onto the brown carpeted floor.
With a sigh, Siwon covered the box of baby food and carried him into his Audi before starting the car, only to have the machine produce some weird noises.
“No, no, no, don’t let this happen,” Siwon rubbed his face as he exited the car and opened the hood of the car, waving away the smoke coming out of it.
Siwon took out his phone and dialled a number.
“Hello, this is Choi Siwon, and my car broke down. Can you fix it?”
After telling the operator his house address, he proceeded to free Donghae from the baby seat in his car and almost ran to the bus station. He had thought of taking a taxi but there weren’t any in his high-class suburb. Good thing he had often take a bus during university with his friends, although he only knew a route. How hard could it be to take a bus, right?
Siwon waited for roughly five minutes before a bus stopped. The father with a baby proceeded to enter the bus and swiped his phone on the machine on the bus, before entering the crowded bus, good thing there was still an empty seat right beside the window which he immediately sat on.
Siwon almost regret taking the bus, but what could he do now. The daycare was still three stops away and there were already people standing in the cramped bus. He had ever decided to put Donghae in a nearer daycare, but after further analysis and thinking, he decided that the current daycare was much better and much more luxurious, although the price per month equals to a one-week trip to Jeju Island, which was expensive. But a CEO’s salary can cover that much without any difficulty.
A stop later, half of the bus passengers started to exit the bus and Siwon could finally sigh in relieved. The businessman looked at his wide-eyes baby with a smiled and kissed the baby’s forehead. After the bus waited for a few minutes, a worn-out teenager in a neat brown suit got on the bus and sat beside Siwon, occasionally checking his watch.
The quiet, good baby boy, instead chose the moment the cry out loud, earning a few glares and inconvenience from the other passengers.
“Hae, sshh,” Siwon started to rock the baby in his arms, but baby Hae instead cried louder.
A whole five minutes of constant crying later, Siwon felt like he would exit the bus even before his stop. The father looked at his crying son in exasperation before the baby suddenly stopped crying and started to smile before broking into a laugh. Siwon’s eyes almost popped up as he saw his now-cheerful son and turned to see who helped him settling down his son, which was no other than the grumpy teenager beside him. Well, which wasn’t grumpy anymore since the shorter smiled sweetly at the baby.
“...food?” Siwon jerked his head in surprise from his musing as he looked at the man beside him - which he was still staring intently at - looking slightly annoyed at him.
“Do you bring any baby food with you?” the teenager licked his lips before motioning to the baby.
Siwon stayed silent for a few seconds before nodding frantically and took out a box of baby food he had made earlier from his bag and handed it to the younger. At least the other looked younger than him.
The other opened the box and took out the spoon, before leaning towards the baby and took a spoonful of baby porridge, slowly feeding him. Siwon’s eyes bulged out again, as he saw how easy the other fed his stubborn but adorable baby.
“Good boy, now behave,” his seatmate wiped the remains of the food on the baby’s lips with his thumb before closing the box and handed it back to a stricken Siwon.
Before Siwon had the time to ask how the younger had fed his son with such ease, or at least thank the other, the younger jerked his head and looked around before cursing softly and hurriedly leaving the bus. Siwon would reprimand the other if he didn’t just realize that it was his stop too. Signaling the bus driver, he quickly walked down the bus which was just a few blocks away from the daycare.
“Good morning, Choi-ssi,” greeted one of the daycare workers, Jessica, as she took Donghae in her arms. “Running a little late?”
“How surprising little Donghae aren’t crying this time,” the other worker, Tiffany, made funny faces at Donghae, in which being the cool baby, ignored the lady.
“Someone seemed to be able to calm him down earlier,” Siwon replied as he nodded his greeting at them before leaving and taking the taxi to his work.
•°•°•
“So you are not planning to find a mom for Donghae?” Heechul, Siwon’s best friend slash partner asked when they were having an early dinner together after the wrecked morning and a busy afternoon that day.
“I don’t think it is the time to do that yet. I have just gotten divorce from my wife not until a year ago, Hyung,” Siwon frowned as he finished his ramyeon.
“Yeah, yeah, I got it the gay stuff and other stuff,” Heechul nodded sarcastically as he gulped down his soju, ignoring the horrified look his so-called saint friend was giving him. “But a baby needs a mom, and he couldn’t leave in that daycare forever, Won.”
“I know, but I don’t think I can have a normal relationship with a woman, you know,” Siwon frowned as he looked out the cafe, raindrops splattering on the small cafe near their offices.
“A mom doesn’t have to be a woman, you know,” Heechul told a shell-shocked Siwon with slight irritation. “As long as he understands you and Donghae.”
“That doesn’t make it any much easier, Hyung,” Siwon paid the bill since Heechul paid for theirs last week.
“Just hope for the best, who knows you will have a happy relationship like me and Hangeng, or should I say a sexy relationship,” Heechul wiggled his eyebrows, earning a head shake from Siwon. “Come on, I will drive you to the daycare then back home,” the older said as he walked towards his black sporty sedan.
Twenty minutes later, the flashy car arrived in front of the daycare where Jessica was already carrying baby Donghae in her arms. Thanking the lady, Siwon immediately carried Donghae into the car and let the baby sat on his lap.
“Say hi to uncle Heechul, Hae,” Siwon took one of baby Donghae’s hand and waved it to a funny-faced Heechul, eliciting a laugh from the youngest.
Heechul then proceeded to lean down towards the baby and made more funny faces, which definitely wasn't a good idea.
In a second, baby Hae had Heechul's white long hair in both of his small fists.
"Ouch! Shit, shit, shit! Siwon, your son!" Heechul grabbed the baby's hands and with Siwon's help, his hair was released by the laughing baby, although a few white strands could be seen peeking out of the boy's hands.
"Hyung, you should watch your language around my son," Siwon still had the time to reprimand his best friend as he tightened the seatbelt, earning a glare from the older before the car started to move again.
"And you need to educate your child more. This is why you need someone to take care of that baby of yours since you don't even have the heart to discipline him, Won," Heechul grumbled.
"He only do that with those he like, though," Siwon retorted, but he stopped listening to his best friend's rant since they drove passed the bus stop.
There he was.
"Hyung, stop the car," Siwon told the driver hurriedly, causing the latter to step on the brake so hard.
"What the he-- Choi Siwon!" Heechul looked at his best friend as if the taller had lost his mind.
"Sorry, Hyung. I will call you as soon as I arrive home. Drive safely, good night, hyung!" Siwon hurriedly carried Donghae into the bus, leaving a dazed Heechul.
Siwon with a huge smile, ignoring his wailing surprised baby, walked into the bus, swiping his phone before sitting down next to his morning seatmate.
"Hi," was the only greeting Siwon could come up with.
The teenager just looked at Siwon, frown evident on his forehead.
"I haven't had the time to thank you-- Donghae, be careful, you're going to fall down," Siwon's gratitude was cut short when baby Hae tried to climb out of his daddy's embrace and onto the stranger's lap.
Kyuhyun, with his still grumpy face, instead took the baby and put the baby on his lap.
Only to have the other's wavy brown hair pulled.
"Ouch! Donghae!" The surprised man immediately grabbed both of the baby's chubby arms before forcefully released his hair.
Kyuhyun huffed and narrowed his eyes at the laughing baby on his lap.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry, he only did that to people he like," Siwon tried to put the baby back to his lap, trying to make the other feel better.
But the baby wailed as he hugged Kyuhyun, not wanting to be carried by his own father.
"It's alright," the younger sighed as he ruffled the boy's thin hair, a smiled unconsciously ghosting on his lips.
Siwon watched the interaction that warmed his heart before licking his dry lips and cleared his throat.
"Nice to meet you, sorry about your hair," Siwon started the conversation. "I'm Choi Siwon, and this is my son, Donghae."
"You should teach your son more, like disciplining him," the teen turned his head to look at Siwon with a shrug. "Where is his mom?"
Siwon blinked at the sudden question and rubbed his neck. "Well, I'm divorced."
"Oh, sorry to hear that," the younger looked away, although his tone didn't show that much remorse.
"It's fine, it's mutual," Siwon shrugged and grin as he poked his son's cheek. "Um, so what's your name?" Siwon hopefully asked, only to receive a side-glance from the other.
"I don't usually hand my son over to strangers, you know," Siwon tried again, earning a glare from the younger.
"Your son was the one trying to reach me," the teen looked back to the baby who was watching the adults' interaction seriously.
Just as Siwon was ready to give up, the other spoke up again.
"Kyuhyun."
The taller looked at the younger who wasn't looking back at him, and broke into a dopey smile.
"Well, then nice to meet you, Kyu."
The young man - Kyuhyun - snapped his head towards the single dad's direction with a raised eyebrow.
"It's Kyuhyun."
"Kyuhyun is too long, I will just call you Kyu," Siwon shamelessly retorted. "Even Hae likes that name right?" the father cooed at his son, earning a giggle from the baby.
The said man just groaned as he ignored the man beside him and instead held a staring contest with the baby on his lap before the bus stopped.
"This is my stop," Kyuhyun said as he gave Donghae back to Siwon.
Both father and son didn't even try to hide their disappointment, in which Donghae started to wail.
Kyuhyun just sighed as he ruffled the baby's rare hair again before turning to leave the bus.
"See you tomorrow, Kyu," was the last thing Kyuhyun heard before he left.
Maybe riding on a bus wasn't that bad, right Hae?
•°•°•
The next morning Siwon and Donghae rode on the bus, there were less people since it was still early. That morning earlier had been great and Siwon had much time to feed his son.
But then, he Siwon remembered something very important.
Will we meet him here in the earlier bus?
Anxiously thinking, Siwon didn't notice the bus stopping nor a certain someone approaching them, then sitting beside them, until his baby giggled.
Siwon looked at the stranger only to see grumpy Kyu beside him, looking at his son with what he hoped was affection.
"Good morning, Kyu. I thought you didn't take this early bus," Siwon smiled widely.
"I ran late yesterday," Kyuhyun mumbled as if he didn't want to answer but answered anyway.
"Good," Siwon replied cheerfully, only to notice a frowning Kyuhyun, before adding, "I mean, good thing you are there yesterday to stop Donghae from crying all through the trip."
Kyuhyun just shrugged and hold the baby as the baby held out his arms to reach his favorite stranger.
"So did you have any son? You seem awfully familiar with babies," Siwon started a casual talk.
"No, no, no, I'm not married," Kyuhyun widened his eyes and shook his head, seemingly offended by the question. "My sister has a baby and I helped her when she was busy."
"No wonder then," Siwon nodded with a smile and proceeded to ask a question he had been wanting to know the answer since their first meeting a day ago, which technically was only a few hours.
"Then, um, can I ask for your number? If I need any help taking care of Hae?" Siwon asked hopefully, only to be directly rejected by the subject.
"We have only met, and I'm not handling my number to some stranger, even if you have a baby."
But Siwon wasn't the great single dad slash CEO if he easily gave up.
•°•°•
"Choi Siwon! For the last time, I'm not giving you my number!" Kyuhyun hissed in annoyance.
Only to realize his tone had been too harsh when the baby on his lap stayed frozen and looked at Kyuhyun. Kyuhyun patted the boy with guilt.
For the last five days, not including weekends, a certain businessman with his adorable baby had been pestering him for his phone number which he might never give it to them.
But for the certain businessman, the last five weekdays had been the best moment of his life. He now knew that the younger, was in fact younger than him by two years, and that he worked as a lawyer in a skyscraper thirty blocks away from his own office. The other was currently living alone in an apartment, which was unfortunately far from his house. Siwon even knew Kyuhyun's family members and the younger's favorite games, food, and even color. But then, there was one gap that made his "Kyuhyunpedia" incomplete, which was the said man's cellphone number.
"Why, Kyu? We even know each other already," Siwon whined, a sound that awfully resembled his son's whenever the baby needed to separate with his favorite person.
"Because my gut says that you will ring me up every minute, and my gut is never mistaken," the younger put little Hae towards his appa's lap before stalking out of the bus.
Siwon sighed as he looked at the leaving man longingly, how was he supposed to find a mom for his son then if the other didn't-- wait, is that a business card?
With an idiotic smile, Siwon picked up the brown business card with gold letterings which was, Siwon hoped left by Kyuhyun, on the younger’s seat.
“Today is a great day, isn’t Hae?” Siwon carried his baby and cooed at the giggling boy.
•°•°•
“You are in love,” Heechul looked at Siwon accusingly.
“What?” Siwon looked up from his phone and looked at his best friend with a confused expression.
“First, you ran out of the car only to run into the bus, and second, you are currently staring at your phone with a goofy smile,” Heechul explained as he squinted his eyes at his embarrassed friend.
“It wasn’t like what you are thinking, Hyung,” Siwon rubbed his neck.
“Well, as long as you are not cooping yourself in that fancy house of yours,” Heechul cackled as he finished his soda. “Just let me know if you need anything to woo that soon-to-be-your-son’s mommy,” Heechul winked, earning a choke from the taller.
•°•°•
“I can take the bus just fine, Won,” grumbled a grumpy lawyer as he entered the businessman’s Audi.
“That won’t do, since I do not want to break our daily routine of meeting you,” Siwon said with a chuckle as the sedan hit off the road.
Two days after his last talk with Heechul, his beloved car was finally fixed and he couldn’t be much more ecstatic. Only, there was an urgent problem.
“So, Hae, how can daddy plead your soon-to-be-mommy to ride on the car with us?” Siwon asked his baby when his car was already safely parked in his garage.
Donghae, as expected, just stared at his daddy with wide eyes.
The answer, as it happens, was much, much easier than what the father and son had expected. They only need the father’s puppy eyes and the son’s wail to force Kyuhyun to enter the luxurious car, which was done in repeat for two weeks straight. Until there was a day one month after it became their routine, when Siwon was late and Kyuhyun had an early presentation so the younger didn’t have any choice but to take the bus, which definitely wasn’t the best decision, remembering how Siwon started to pester the poor teenager with a message every ten minutes asking if the other was alright. Kyuhyun had regretted that decision of his forever.
Siwon also had learned daddy lessons from the unmarried man since the older often called the younger. And now, the single parent could proudly announce that he could change baby Hae’s diaper in less than ten minutes, plus he could feed Hae without difficulties now.
“So, Kyu, are you free after work tonight?” Siwon asked the man sitting beside him as the car stopped in front of Kyuhyun’s office building, taking a glance at the rear-view mirror to gain support from his baby.
“You are not planning to kidnap me, aren’t you,” Kyuhyun side glanced at the taller before opening the door and nodded, leaving the car not before pinching Donghae’s cheek.
Donghae giggled at how happy his daddy was, although he looked idiotic right now.
•°•°•
“Where are you bringing me, Choi Siwon?” Kyuhyun looked at the smiling man behind the driving wheel with an irritated look.
“It is a surprise, Kyu, even Donghae doesn’t know where we will be going,” Siwon chuckled as he took another turn down the road.
Kyuhyun was just about to throw a snarky retort when the car slowed down to a stop near the hills. At a glance there were only trees and it was dark, which Kyuhyun was going to comment on those when a light caught his eyes. The light came from behind the trees and Kyuhyun raised an eyebrow at Siwon who was looking at him hopefully.
Both men then exit the car, with the baby on Siwon’s shoulder, walked towards which turned out to be a restaurant with glass walls. It was a fancy restaurant Kyuhyun never thought of going to.
“Where is this, Won?” Siwon tightened his long coat around him as the night wind blew.
“We haven’t had the time to spend together, so why not now?” Siwon shrugged as he put his son in a better position. “And Donghae misses you.”
Kyuhyun snorted at the baby who was currently trying to reach him. “We meet every day.”
“It is easy to miss you, Kyu,” Siwon smiled as he handed his son to the other.
Kyuhyun just shook his head before walking a few steps ahead of the single father.
“Welcome to Twin Restaurant!” a man greeted the three of them with a happy smile, although there was a thick accent in the man’s speech.
“Also known as GengChul’s restaurant,” another man, who actually looked like a lady, cackled behind the probably-Chinese man.
“We have been expecting you,” the first man smiled wider as he escorted Kyuhyun and little Hae into the surprisingly empty restaurant. Kyuhyun threw a suspicious glance at Siwon who was talking in a hushed voice with the second man earlier.
“So, my little Siwon has finally grown up. Mama Chul is so proud of you,” Heechul slapped his best friend’s back and talked in an excited whisper as he watched the other male being led by Hangeng, his boyfriend, to a special spot they had already arranged.
“Please don’t mess this up, Hyung,” Siwon rubbed his neck. “I’m not going to ask him anytime soon. We have only met for two months.”
“Time doesn’t matter, go be a great man like me,” Heechul slapped the other’s back again before motioning for the tallest to go after the-soon-to-be-mommy, a term Siwon was happy but also embarrassed with.
Kyuhyun looked around the fancy restaurant, to which he was led by the waiter and the owner of the restaurant, Hangeng, to the second floor of the restaurant, which was half-indoor and half-outdoor. The lawyer frowned in confusion since the restaurant was totally empty, so why not place them in the first floor and save the electricity.
“Here is your seat,” Hangeng stopped in front of a two-seater table and a high-chair at one of the sides of the round table. The table was covered with a silk velvet tablecloth and a few lit-candles forming a small heart in the middle of the table. The table itself was located on the balcony out looking the hills and the beach. There is a beach here? Kyuhyun looked around the relaxing garden. It was a scene he often saw in his sister’s cheesy romantic movies.
“Take a seat, Kyu,” Kyuhyun was too caught up at the environment to not noticing Siwon who had already pulled the chair out for him to sit on.
“I’m not a lady, Won,” the teen grumbled but he sat anyway.
Siwon chuckled as he took his son from Kyuhyun’s arms and put the baby in the high-chair before sitting down opposite of Kyuhyun.
“We will be serving you our best menu soon,” the second man, which Kyuhyun still didn’t know his name, laughed, although Kyuhyun didn’t know the reason.
“This feels like a date, doesn’t it?” Siwon smiled happily, only for his face to drop slightly at Kyuhyun’s glare. “Alright, it is not a date, right, Hae?” the father proceeded to play with his son.
Ten minutes later, Hangeng served them a surprisingly simple food, which he named it Beijing fried rice, and a complicated drink which the second owner of the restaurant, Kyuhyun assumed, called it as Chicha Fizz, which according to the maker, didn’t contain alcohol.
“It’s delicious!” Kyuhyun, who was always truthful about food exclaimed as he spooned down the fried rice hungrily, earning a chuckle from Siwon who was staring at the younger since the food came.
“What?” Kyuhyun wiped a rice from his lips as he frowned at the chuckling businessman.
“You ate just like Donghae when he eats what he likes,” Siwon smiled and motioned to baby Hae who was currently drinking juice that Hangeng made earlier.
“I’m not a baby if that’s what you mean,” the man glowered before continuing eating.
“You just look like him, suitable to be his... mommy?” Siwon turned his face into a hopeful one.
Kyuhyun would have smacked the taller if the baby wasn’t there.
“I’m not his...”
“Um...ma...”
“Exactly, what?” Siwon and Kyuhyun snapped their heads to baby Hae’s direction.
The baby was currently laughing, looking at both surprised adults.
“What did you just said, Hae?” Siwon looked at his son with wide eyes.
“Um...ma!” Donghae repeated his first word again, the baby seemed happily proud.
“My son just said his first word!” Siwon happily carried the baby and threw him lightly in the air before catching him again.
“Ki... Kiyu...” the baby babbled again as Siwon rocked him in his arms.
“What? Say it again, Hae?” Siwon looked at his son expectantly.
“Ki...yu!” Hae looked at a dumbstruck Kyuhyun with his gummy smile.
“He just said your name, Kyu!” Siwon looked at the other male in excitement.
“Ki...yu, Um..ma!”
Kyuhyun blushed hard at what the baby just said. “I-I’m not your mom!”
“He called your name, but not mine...” Siwon mused out loud seriously, as if it was a national disaster. “But it’s alright, that means you will have to take responsible and be his mom, Kyu,” Siwon then smiled happily at a stuttering Kyuhyun.
“Who would marry you!”
“Ki..yu um..ma!”
“Yes, Hae, it’s Kyu Umma.”
“Choi Siwon, do not teach your son nonsense!”
“Umma!”
“Donghae, don’t follow your appa!”
2. Hello, Babysitter
Pairings: Siwon/Kyuhyun
Genre: Single Parent!AU
Ratings: PG-13
Warnings: Slight swearing
Summary: A broken car and a cramped trip on bus weren’t as bad as how Siwon thought his day would be. Part of Um..ma! series.
Siwon’s morning call that day wasn’t all he had expected. The alarm clock he had set last night had rung an hour late and as the alarm clock rang, his six-month-old baby, Donghae, was already crying out loud. The room stenched of something Siwon would rather not name. Rubbing his eyes, the single father sluggishly walked out of the bed and opened one of the walls of the crib to inspect the damage the baby had made.
Siwon then proceeded to wear a brand new medical mask before starting to change baby Hae’s diapers. For months since his ex-wife left Donghae on his hands, Siwon still couldn’t get used to changing the baby’s diapers or hear the baby’s cry, but then, his baby meant everything to him.
Half an hour later, the baby was clean, but it was Siwon next who need a long nice bath, or maybe a short nice bath since he was running late to the daycare then to the office.
“Alright, Hae,” Siwon closed the crib back. “Behave, okay? Daddy needs to take a bath and bring you to the daycare.”
Ten minutes later, Siwon was all fresh with a crisp white button-down suit and long black trousers, before he hurriedly made baby food for Hae and with much difficulty tried to fed the baby, only for half of the food to be thrown onto the brown carpeted floor.
With a sigh, Siwon covered the box of baby food and carried him into his Audi before starting the car, only to have the machine produce some weird noises.
“No, no, no, don’t let this happen,” Siwon rubbed his face as he exited the car and opened the hood of the car, waving away the smoke coming out of it.
Siwon took out his phone and dialled a number.
“Hello, this is Choi Siwon, and my car broke down. Can you fix it?”
After telling the operator his house address, he proceeded to free Donghae from the baby seat in his car and almost ran to the bus station. He had thought of taking a taxi but there weren’t any in his high-class suburb. Good thing he had often take a bus during university with his friends, although he only knew a route. How hard could it be to take a bus, right?
Siwon waited for roughly five minutes before a bus stopped. The father with a baby proceeded to enter the bus and swiped his phone on the machine on the bus, before entering the crowded bus, good thing there was still an empty seat right beside the window which he immediately sat on.
Siwon almost regret taking the bus, but what could he do now. The daycare was still three stops away and there were already people standing in the cramped bus. He had ever decided to put Donghae in a nearer daycare, but after further analysis and thinking, he decided that the current daycare was much better and much more luxurious, although the price per month equals to a one-week trip to Jeju Island, which was expensive. But a CEO’s salary can cover that much without any difficulty.
A stop later, half of the bus passengers started to exit the bus and Siwon could finally sigh in relieved. The businessman looked at his wide-eyes baby with a smiled and kissed the baby’s forehead. After the bus waited for a few minutes, a worn-out teenager in a neat brown suit got on the bus and sat beside Siwon, occasionally checking his watch.
The quiet, good baby boy, instead chose the moment the cry out loud, earning a few glares and inconvenience from the other passengers.
“Hae, sshh,” Siwon started to rock the baby in his arms, but baby Hae instead cried louder.
A whole five minutes of constant crying later, Siwon felt like he would exit the bus even before his stop. The father looked at his crying son in exasperation before the baby suddenly stopped crying and started to smile before broking into a laugh. Siwon’s eyes almost popped up as he saw his now-cheerful son and turned to see who helped him settling down his son, which was no other than the grumpy teenager beside him. Well, which wasn’t grumpy anymore since the shorter smiled sweetly at the baby.
“...food?” Siwon jerked his head in surprise from his musing as he looked at the man beside him - which he was still staring intently at - looking slightly annoyed at him.
“Do you bring any baby food with you?” the teenager licked his lips before motioning to the baby.
Siwon stayed silent for a few seconds before nodding frantically and took out a box of baby food he had made earlier from his bag and handed it to the younger. At least the other looked younger than him.
The other opened the box and took out the spoon, before leaning towards the baby and took a spoonful of baby porridge, slowly feeding him. Siwon’s eyes bulged out again, as he saw how easy the other fed his stubborn but adorable baby.
“Good boy, now behave,” his seatmate wiped the remains of the food on the baby’s lips with his thumb before closing the box and handed it back to a stricken Siwon.
Before Siwon had the time to ask how the younger had fed his son with such ease, or at least thank the other, the younger jerked his head and looked around before cursing softly and hurriedly leaving the bus. Siwon would reprimand the other if he didn’t just realize that it was his stop too. Signaling the bus driver, he quickly walked down the bus which was just a few blocks away from the daycare.
“Good morning, Choi-ssi,” greeted one of the daycare workers, Jessica, as she took Donghae in her arms. “Running a little late?”
“How surprising little Donghae aren’t crying this time,” the other worker, Tiffany, made funny faces at Donghae, in which being the cool baby, ignored the lady.
“Someone seemed to be able to calm him down earlier,” Siwon replied as he nodded his greeting at them before leaving and taking the taxi to his work.
•°•°•
“So you are not planning to find a mom for Donghae?” Heechul, Siwon’s best friend slash partner asked when they were having an early dinner together after the wrecked morning and a busy afternoon that day.
“I don’t think it is the time to do that yet. I have just gotten divorce from my wife not until a year ago, Hyung,” Siwon frowned as he finished his ramyeon.
“Yeah, yeah, I got it the gay stuff and other stuff,” Heechul nodded sarcastically as he gulped down his soju, ignoring the horrified look his so-called saint friend was giving him. “But a baby needs a mom, and he couldn’t leave in that daycare forever, Won.”
“I know, but I don’t think I can have a normal relationship with a woman, you know,” Siwon frowned as he looked out the cafe, raindrops splattering on the small cafe near their offices.
“A mom doesn’t have to be a woman, you know,” Heechul told a shell-shocked Siwon with slight irritation. “As long as he understands you and Donghae.”
“That doesn’t make it any much easier, Hyung,” Siwon paid the bill since Heechul paid for theirs last week.
“Just hope for the best, who knows you will have a happy relationship like me and Hangeng, or should I say a sexy relationship,” Heechul wiggled his eyebrows, earning a head shake from Siwon. “Come on, I will drive you to the daycare then back home,” the older said as he walked towards his black sporty sedan.
Twenty minutes later, the flashy car arrived in front of the daycare where Jessica was already carrying baby Donghae in her arms. Thanking the lady, Siwon immediately carried Donghae into the car and let the baby sat on his lap.
“Say hi to uncle Heechul, Hae,” Siwon took one of baby Donghae’s hand and waved it to a funny-faced Heechul, eliciting a laugh from the youngest.
Heechul then proceeded to lean down towards the baby and made more funny faces, which definitely wasn't a good idea.
In a second, baby Hae had Heechul's white long hair in both of his small fists.
"Ouch! Shit, shit, shit! Siwon, your son!" Heechul grabbed the baby's hands and with Siwon's help, his hair was released by the laughing baby, although a few white strands could be seen peeking out of the boy's hands.
"Hyung, you should watch your language around my son," Siwon still had the time to reprimand his best friend as he tightened the seatbelt, earning a glare from the older before the car started to move again.
"And you need to educate your child more. This is why you need someone to take care of that baby of yours since you don't even have the heart to discipline him, Won," Heechul grumbled.
"He only do that with those he like, though," Siwon retorted, but he stopped listening to his best friend's rant since they drove passed the bus stop.
There he was.
"Hyung, stop the car," Siwon told the driver hurriedly, causing the latter to step on the brake so hard.
"What the he-- Choi Siwon!" Heechul looked at his best friend as if the taller had lost his mind.
"Sorry, Hyung. I will call you as soon as I arrive home. Drive safely, good night, hyung!" Siwon hurriedly carried Donghae into the bus, leaving a dazed Heechul.
Siwon with a huge smile, ignoring his wailing surprised baby, walked into the bus, swiping his phone before sitting down next to his morning seatmate.
"Hi," was the only greeting Siwon could come up with.
The teenager just looked at Siwon, frown evident on his forehead.
"I haven't had the time to thank you-- Donghae, be careful, you're going to fall down," Siwon's gratitude was cut short when baby Hae tried to climb out of his daddy's embrace and onto the stranger's lap.
Kyuhyun, with his still grumpy face, instead took the baby and put the baby on his lap.
Only to have the other's wavy brown hair pulled.
"Ouch! Donghae!" The surprised man immediately grabbed both of the baby's chubby arms before forcefully released his hair.
Kyuhyun huffed and narrowed his eyes at the laughing baby on his lap.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry, he only did that to people he like," Siwon tried to put the baby back to his lap, trying to make the other feel better.
But the baby wailed as he hugged Kyuhyun, not wanting to be carried by his own father.
"It's alright," the younger sighed as he ruffled the boy's thin hair, a smiled unconsciously ghosting on his lips.
Siwon watched the interaction that warmed his heart before licking his dry lips and cleared his throat.
"Nice to meet you, sorry about your hair," Siwon started the conversation. "I'm Choi Siwon, and this is my son, Donghae."
"You should teach your son more, like disciplining him," the teen turned his head to look at Siwon with a shrug. "Where is his mom?"
Siwon blinked at the sudden question and rubbed his neck. "Well, I'm divorced."
"Oh, sorry to hear that," the younger looked away, although his tone didn't show that much remorse.
"It's fine, it's mutual," Siwon shrugged and grin as he poked his son's cheek. "Um, so what's your name?" Siwon hopefully asked, only to receive a side-glance from the other.
"I don't usually hand my son over to strangers, you know," Siwon tried again, earning a glare from the younger.
"Your son was the one trying to reach me," the teen looked back to the baby who was watching the adults' interaction seriously.
Just as Siwon was ready to give up, the other spoke up again.
"Kyuhyun."
The taller looked at the younger who wasn't looking back at him, and broke into a dopey smile.
"Well, then nice to meet you, Kyu."
The young man - Kyuhyun - snapped his head towards the single dad's direction with a raised eyebrow.
"It's Kyuhyun."
"Kyuhyun is too long, I will just call you Kyu," Siwon shamelessly retorted. "Even Hae likes that name right?" the father cooed at his son, earning a giggle from the baby.
The said man just groaned as he ignored the man beside him and instead held a staring contest with the baby on his lap before the bus stopped.
"This is my stop," Kyuhyun said as he gave Donghae back to Siwon.
Both father and son didn't even try to hide their disappointment, in which Donghae started to wail.
Kyuhyun just sighed as he ruffled the baby's rare hair again before turning to leave the bus.
"See you tomorrow, Kyu," was the last thing Kyuhyun heard before he left.
Maybe riding on a bus wasn't that bad, right Hae?
•°•°•
The next morning Siwon and Donghae rode on the bus, there were less people since it was still early. That morning earlier had been great and Siwon had much time to feed his son.
But then, he Siwon remembered something very important.
Will we meet him here in the earlier bus?
Anxiously thinking, Siwon didn't notice the bus stopping nor a certain someone approaching them, then sitting beside them, until his baby giggled.
Siwon looked at the stranger only to see grumpy Kyu beside him, looking at his son with what he hoped was affection.
"Good morning, Kyu. I thought you didn't take this early bus," Siwon smiled widely.
"I ran late yesterday," Kyuhyun mumbled as if he didn't want to answer but answered anyway.
"Good," Siwon replied cheerfully, only to notice a frowning Kyuhyun, before adding, "I mean, good thing you are there yesterday to stop Donghae from crying all through the trip."
Kyuhyun just shrugged and hold the baby as the baby held out his arms to reach his favorite stranger.
"So did you have any son? You seem awfully familiar with babies," Siwon started a casual talk.
"No, no, no, I'm not married," Kyuhyun widened his eyes and shook his head, seemingly offended by the question. "My sister has a baby and I helped her when she was busy."
"No wonder then," Siwon nodded with a smile and proceeded to ask a question he had been wanting to know the answer since their first meeting a day ago, which technically was only a few hours.
"Then, um, can I ask for your number? If I need any help taking care of Hae?" Siwon asked hopefully, only to be directly rejected by the subject.
"We have only met, and I'm not handling my number to some stranger, even if you have a baby."
But Siwon wasn't the great single dad slash CEO if he easily gave up.
•°•°•
"Choi Siwon! For the last time, I'm not giving you my number!" Kyuhyun hissed in annoyance.
Only to realize his tone had been too harsh when the baby on his lap stayed frozen and looked at Kyuhyun. Kyuhyun patted the boy with guilt.
For the last five days, not including weekends, a certain businessman with his adorable baby had been pestering him for his phone number which he might never give it to them.
But for the certain businessman, the last five weekdays had been the best moment of his life. He now knew that the younger, was in fact younger than him by two years, and that he worked as a lawyer in a skyscraper thirty blocks away from his own office. The other was currently living alone in an apartment, which was unfortunately far from his house. Siwon even knew Kyuhyun's family members and the younger's favorite games, food, and even color. But then, there was one gap that made his "Kyuhyunpedia" incomplete, which was the said man's cellphone number.
"Why, Kyu? We even know each other already," Siwon whined, a sound that awfully resembled his son's whenever the baby needed to separate with his favorite person.
"Because my gut says that you will ring me up every minute, and my gut is never mistaken," the younger put little Hae towards his appa's lap before stalking out of the bus.
Siwon sighed as he looked at the leaving man longingly, how was he supposed to find a mom for his son then if the other didn't-- wait, is that a business card?
With an idiotic smile, Siwon picked up the brown business card with gold letterings which was, Siwon hoped left by Kyuhyun, on the younger’s seat.
“Today is a great day, isn’t Hae?” Siwon carried his baby and cooed at the giggling boy.
•°•°•
“You are in love,” Heechul looked at Siwon accusingly.
“What?” Siwon looked up from his phone and looked at his best friend with a confused expression.
“First, you ran out of the car only to run into the bus, and second, you are currently staring at your phone with a goofy smile,” Heechul explained as he squinted his eyes at his embarrassed friend.
“It wasn’t like what you are thinking, Hyung,” Siwon rubbed his neck.
“Well, as long as you are not cooping yourself in that fancy house of yours,” Heechul cackled as he finished his soda. “Just let me know if you need anything to woo that soon-to-be-your-son’s mommy,” Heechul winked, earning a choke from the taller.
•°•°•
“I can take the bus just fine, Won,” grumbled a grumpy lawyer as he entered the businessman’s Audi.
“That won’t do, since I do not want to break our daily routine of meeting you,” Siwon said with a chuckle as the sedan hit off the road.
Two days after his last talk with Heechul, his beloved car was finally fixed and he couldn’t be much more ecstatic. Only, there was an urgent problem.
“So, Hae, how can daddy plead your soon-to-be-mommy to ride on the car with us?” Siwon asked his baby when his car was already safely parked in his garage.
Donghae, as expected, just stared at his daddy with wide eyes.
The answer, as it happens, was much, much easier than what the father and son had expected. They only need the father’s puppy eyes and the son’s wail to force Kyuhyun to enter the luxurious car, which was done in repeat for two weeks straight. Until there was a day one month after it became their routine, when Siwon was late and Kyuhyun had an early presentation so the younger didn’t have any choice but to take the bus, which definitely wasn’t the best decision, remembering how Siwon started to pester the poor teenager with a message every ten minutes asking if the other was alright. Kyuhyun had regretted that decision of his forever.
Siwon also had learned daddy lessons from the unmarried man since the older often called the younger. And now, the single parent could proudly announce that he could change baby Hae’s diaper in less than ten minutes, plus he could feed Hae without difficulties now.
“So, Kyu, are you free after work tonight?” Siwon asked the man sitting beside him as the car stopped in front of Kyuhyun’s office building, taking a glance at the rear-view mirror to gain support from his baby.
“You are not planning to kidnap me, aren’t you,” Kyuhyun side glanced at the taller before opening the door and nodded, leaving the car not before pinching Donghae’s cheek.
Donghae giggled at how happy his daddy was, although he looked idiotic right now.
•°•°•
“Where are you bringing me, Choi Siwon?” Kyuhyun looked at the smiling man behind the driving wheel with an irritated look.
“It is a surprise, Kyu, even Donghae doesn’t know where we will be going,” Siwon chuckled as he took another turn down the road.
Kyuhyun was just about to throw a snarky retort when the car slowed down to a stop near the hills. At a glance there were only trees and it was dark, which Kyuhyun was going to comment on those when a light caught his eyes. The light came from behind the trees and Kyuhyun raised an eyebrow at Siwon who was looking at him hopefully.
Both men then exit the car, with the baby on Siwon’s shoulder, walked towards which turned out to be a restaurant with glass walls. It was a fancy restaurant Kyuhyun never thought of going to.
“Where is this, Won?” Siwon tightened his long coat around him as the night wind blew.
“We haven’t had the time to spend together, so why not now?” Siwon shrugged as he put his son in a better position. “And Donghae misses you.”
Kyuhyun snorted at the baby who was currently trying to reach him. “We meet every day.”
“It is easy to miss you, Kyu,” Siwon smiled as he handed his son to the other.
Kyuhyun just shook his head before walking a few steps ahead of the single father.
“Welcome to Twin Restaurant!” a man greeted the three of them with a happy smile, although there was a thick accent in the man’s speech.
“Also known as GengChul’s restaurant,” another man, who actually looked like a lady, cackled behind the probably-Chinese man.
“We have been expecting you,” the first man smiled wider as he escorted Kyuhyun and little Hae into the surprisingly empty restaurant. Kyuhyun threw a suspicious glance at Siwon who was talking in a hushed voice with the second man earlier.
“So, my little Siwon has finally grown up. Mama Chul is so proud of you,” Heechul slapped his best friend’s back and talked in an excited whisper as he watched the other male being led by Hangeng, his boyfriend, to a special spot they had already arranged.
“Please don’t mess this up, Hyung,” Siwon rubbed his neck. “I’m not going to ask him anytime soon. We have only met for two months.”
“Time doesn’t matter, go be a great man like me,” Heechul slapped the other’s back again before motioning for the tallest to go after the-soon-to-be-mommy, a term Siwon was happy but also embarrassed with.
Kyuhyun looked around the fancy restaurant, to which he was led by the waiter and the owner of the restaurant, Hangeng, to the second floor of the restaurant, which was half-indoor and half-outdoor. The lawyer frowned in confusion since the restaurant was totally empty, so why not place them in the first floor and save the electricity.
“Here is your seat,” Hangeng stopped in front of a two-seater table and a high-chair at one of the sides of the round table. The table was covered with a silk velvet tablecloth and a few lit-candles forming a small heart in the middle of the table. The table itself was located on the balcony out looking the hills and the beach. There is a beach here? Kyuhyun looked around the relaxing garden. It was a scene he often saw in his sister’s cheesy romantic movies.
“Take a seat, Kyu,” Kyuhyun was too caught up at the environment to not noticing Siwon who had already pulled the chair out for him to sit on.
“I’m not a lady, Won,” the teen grumbled but he sat anyway.
Siwon chuckled as he took his son from Kyuhyun’s arms and put the baby in the high-chair before sitting down opposite of Kyuhyun.
“We will be serving you our best menu soon,” the second man, which Kyuhyun still didn’t know his name, laughed, although Kyuhyun didn’t know the reason.
“This feels like a date, doesn’t it?” Siwon smiled happily, only for his face to drop slightly at Kyuhyun’s glare. “Alright, it is not a date, right, Hae?” the father proceeded to play with his son.
Ten minutes later, Hangeng served them a surprisingly simple food, which he named it Beijing fried rice, and a complicated drink which the second owner of the restaurant, Kyuhyun assumed, called it as Chicha Fizz, which according to the maker, didn’t contain alcohol.
“It’s delicious!” Kyuhyun, who was always truthful about food exclaimed as he spooned down the fried rice hungrily, earning a chuckle from Siwon who was staring at the younger since the food came.
“What?” Kyuhyun wiped a rice from his lips as he frowned at the chuckling businessman.
“You ate just like Donghae when he eats what he likes,” Siwon smiled and motioned to baby Hae who was currently drinking juice that Hangeng made earlier.
“I’m not a baby if that’s what you mean,” the man glowered before continuing eating.
“You just look like him, suitable to be his... mommy?” Siwon turned his face into a hopeful one.
Kyuhyun would have smacked the taller if the baby wasn’t there.
“I’m not his...”
“Um...ma...”
“Exactly, what?” Siwon and Kyuhyun snapped their heads to baby Hae’s direction.
The baby was currently laughing, looking at both surprised adults.
“What did you just said, Hae?” Siwon looked at his son with wide eyes.
“Um...ma!” Donghae repeated his first word again, the baby seemed happily proud.
“My son just said his first word!” Siwon happily carried the baby and threw him lightly in the air before catching him again.
“Ki... Kiyu...” the baby babbled again as Siwon rocked him in his arms.
“What? Say it again, Hae?” Siwon looked at his son expectantly.
“Ki...yu!” Hae looked at a dumbstruck Kyuhyun with his gummy smile.
“He just said your name, Kyu!” Siwon looked at the other male in excitement.
“Ki...yu, Um..ma!”
Kyuhyun blushed hard at what the baby just said. “I-I’m not your mom!”
“He called your name, but not mine...” Siwon mused out loud seriously, as if it was a national disaster. “But it’s alright, that means you will have to take responsible and be his mom, Kyu,” Siwon then smiled happily at a stuttering Kyuhyun.
“Who would marry you!”
“Ki..yu um..ma!”
“Yes, Hae, it’s Kyu Umma.”
“Choi Siwon, do not teach your son nonsense!”
“Umma!”
“Donghae, don’t follow your appa!”
2. Hello, Babysitter