The Nanny. [Neo] Chapter 4: The Sky is Falling
Fandom: VIXX (au)
Pairing: Neo
Word Count: 4,690+
Rating: PG-13. (Implied sexual content DUNDUNDUN)
Summary: Single father Taekwoon hires a nanny...for the kids, not for himself. Not even the weekend is an escape.
| Chapter 1|| Chapter 2|| Chapter 3|
The morning light warms the whole kitchen into a subtle glow, inviting and calming. Saturday mornings were always quiet at first, an entire blanket of peace still resting over the children who were finishing up their night’s colorful dreams.
Taekwoon was sitting at the dining table with a cup of coffee (half coffee-half milk, really), still letting its steam trail upwards and waft that comforting aroma of freshly brewed beans. He had his tablet open while scrolling through the recent news stories, headlines that he normally missed due to the hectic week.
It was approaching that time, when his last seconds of silent freedom would come to an end and he’d hear the first wakings of his children down the hall. Only moments would pass before two pairs of footsteps would come running down the hall, shooting past their father and heading straight for the living room with the TV--Saturday morning cartoons.
There it was, laughter spilling down the hall right before he heard Binah and Hyogi racing along.
“Good morning, dad!” They both chimed in, quick to breeze past and make it for the best spot on the couch.
Taekwoon shook his head as he said goodbye to his last signs of restfulness.
Starting their Saturday morning routine, Taekwoon poured them both sugary cereals with a slice of buttered toast and freshly cut pear. He set them on the coffee table in the living room, never a stickler for potential crumb or spilled milk situations.
While they watched their morning cartoons, he got dressed for the day, thankful he could bypass the tailored suits and sport comfortable, casual wear. He put on black spandex framing his long legs, a pair of black soccer shorts and a long-sleeved brilliant blue top.
Today Taekwoon had promised to finally take Binah out to the park for soccer. That wouldn’t happen for another few hours, but at least Taekwoon would be ready; it’s something he picked up in parenting, to over prepare and prepare early.
As he returned to the living room to relax with the children, a commercial was playing on the screen.
On the usual Saturday this would entail Hyogi practicing his praying mantis form, but right now with the condition of his arm, he was sprawled out in despair on the couch with a pear hanging from his lips.
Binah on the other hand was staring right at him. “What?” Taekwoon inquired, not sure what drew his daughter’s attention onto him.
“Dad...what happened yesterday morning?” Binah blinked, her expression unmoving as she waited ever-so-patiently for her father to come forth and explain.
“What do you mean?” Taekwoon truly was confused. Yesterday morning was like every other morning.
Finally, Binah’s eyebrows lifted and she said with a tone that let her father know right away he could not lie out of an answer, “The scream. From your bedroom.”
Kittens shot to Taekwoon’s mind and he lifted a hand to his temple, rubbing at it intensely in hopes that this was a dream and she did not ask that.
“Yeah, dad! We thought you were in danger but Hakyeon-hyung came out saying everything was alright!” Now Hyogi joined in on the conversation, his pear sucked quickly into his mouth as his features became more alive.
“He was right. It was nothing,” Taekwoon dismissed, his other hand waving off his children’s stares as he fought another battle with the oncoming blush.
“But you wouldn’t just scream for nothing!” Binah wasn’t letting go. In fact, she moved from her spot and started crawling on Taekwoon, prying at his hands to remove his weapon of defense.
When he looked at her plump cheeks and sharp eyes, he went for the ‘silence is best’ tactic.
“Dad!” Binah and Hyogi knew him well and knew now he wasn’t going to answer or say anything at all.
"Did hyung discover your army of cats?" Hyogi contributed a guess and Taekwoon gasped.
Tucked away in his bathroom was a small collection of cats he gathered over the years. They orderly decorated the shelf in the bathroom, a homage to the feline creature Taekwoon always admired from afar.
"Tell me when you're ready to head out," Taekwoon made his exit, tickling Binah off him and hurrying up and away.
He would rather spend the rest of his morning alone, away from dodging his children's questions--that was saying a lot for Taekwoon who loved spending every second with them.
*~*~*
It was nice not to have to wake up to the shrill cry of an alarm.
When Hakyeon finally rolled over in bed, peering through his sleep crusted eyes, his cell phone flashed that it was already 11:30; he couldn’t remember the last time he had been able to sleep past eight a.m.
Even though he didn’t have to nanny, he still had a few private lessons at the dance studio today. They weren’t until the afternoon though so he was in no rush as he took his time stretching out every limb of his body, groaning at the satisfying pops and cracks of his stiff joints; damn, he was really starting to get old.
“Geez, those kids really just suck the energy right out of you.” Hakyeon said this with a smile before frowning.
It hadn’t even been 24 hours yet he missed having pretend ninja fights with Hyogi and prepping Binah for her quizzes in the morning. And, even though he would never, ever admit it, he missed seeing Taekwoon passing him glances and the occasional, tiny smile if they crossed paths in the house.
Hakyeon laid in bed for a few more minutes before sitting up and deciding it was time he got ready for the day. As he glanced at his phone again charging on the nightstand he considered sending a text to Taekwoon.
It could easily be excused with reminding him to tell Binah about her project due next week, or reminding Hyogi to make sure he was taking his pain medication for his arm and not to jump on the bed anymore.
Taekwoon was a good father though and Hakyeon was sure he would know about these things already so his phone remained where it was as he rolled out of bed to shower.
An hour later he was at the studio. Today was the first day Hakyeon was starting his private lessons, having to drop his usual six day a week schedule and move strictly to weekend only lessons to have time, and energy, for his full-time nannying job.
It made the most sense even though he missed being able to dance every day, but dancing wasn’t enough to make a living off of at this point. Maybe after a few years, when he had saved up enough to live comfortably, he could start just volunteering as a dance teacher; he never had felt entirely comfortable getting paid to teach and share something he loved so passionately.
His students today were a few young girls around Binah and Hyogi’s age, making him miss the kids even more. They ran through warm-ups and some basic steps, learning a little bit of a short routine as well so Hakyeon could gauge their skill level. Before he knew it their two hours was up and their moms had come to pick them up.
“Ah, you’re such a good teacher, Hakyeonie!” The mom’s exclaimed as their daughters talked about how much fun they had, “I was a little wary when my friend recommended you but she said her son just absolutely loved you. We will definitely see you again next week!”
“You’re much too kind, ma’am.” Hakyeon mumbled with a shy blush, rubbing the back of his neck; one would think with how often mom’s complimented him he would be used to it, but it still made Hakyeon a little embarrassed that the root of his confidence came from these older, married women.
“I’ll see you pretty girls next week, so make sure you practice the steps I taught you!”
The girls answered with a resounding, “Yes, Hakyeon-sunsaengnim!”, chatting excitedly as they left in whispers about how cute their new teacher was.
A heavy sigh fell from Hakyeon, still feeling restless even after teaching. He needed to do something, distract himself, go for a run?
Slipping out of his black spandex and white long-sleeved shirt, he tugged out the navy blue tracksuit he kept in his locker. It had been a gift from his sister’s husband last Christmas, insisting it was the latest trend in athletic gear; Hakyeon had wore it a handful of times around his apartment before leaving at the studio but never out in public.
It’s not like he was planning to see anyone he knew today but he pulled the hood up over his head anyways as he left, jogging over to the park a few blocks away.
~*~*~
Taekwoon smiled as he watched Binah run in the warm, spring sun, the afternoon’s glow flourishing over her as she grinned and caught the soccer ball with her foot. Dribbling it back and forth to practice her growing skill set, she then kicked the ball with her perfect form he had taught her.
Although they hadn’t been able to go every weekend, the weather not permitting like today, Taekwoon still practiced with Binah at their house. He’d show her the correct way to balance her weight and where to kick the ball on her foot; he’d guide her how to even run without the ball.
He had never forced soccer onto his daughter. She only gained the interest by seeing photos of Taekwoon in his prime playing days. Binah always awed and commented how he looked so cool and how she wanted to be that cool.
Taekwoon already thought she was a pretty cool daughter, but he would never curb her ambition for soccer.
Despite Hyogi’s temporary handicap, Taekwoon and Binah would both gently kick the ball his way just to see a small grin light up on his face. He had been feeling rather lifeless and although Taekwoon tried to do the ninja pep talk he felt Hakyeon might have used, his son still didn’t carry his usual exuberance for adventure.
It was one of those moments Taekwoon had caught himself today thinking of the nanny, only to quickly push it away. After all, in such a short time he felt Hakyeon had seen things no human being should be allowed to.
“Hey, dad!” Binah called out suddenly, waving her arm to seek Taekwoon’s attention. She started to sprint quickly, signaling she wanted him to kick it hard so she could run far and fetch it.
A wide smile broke upon Taekwoon’s features, this warmth fluttering through his chest as he carefully picked the ball up between his hands. He squinted out to gauge where to kick it, and with a few quick steps he dropped the ball and let it fly off his sneaker, watching it soar through the air.
It soared and flew and arched through the blue of the sky. Then it started falling down and as Taekwoon’s smile softened, waiting to see if Binah would get it, everything bubbly and delightful in life…came to a screeching halt.
The ball hit a jogger square on the head and Taekwoon’s eyes widened in horror at seeing the person flail and cradle their head while suddenly crumbling to the ground.
Gasping, Taekwoon immediately went into action, ignoring Hyogi’s shout, “Daddy, you killed him!”
Taekwoon reached the man face down on the ground shortly after, breathing hard as he knelt down on the pathway. He shook at their shoulders, urgently speaking, “Are you okay?”
Hakyeon’s mood had increased immensely being out in the fresh spring air, glad to see the final white patches of winter had melted away with the sunny day. Sure it had been a rather uneventful day compared to the couple he had just had but he wasn’t complaining.
Hakyeon wasn’t quite sure exactly what happened next. Something hard had struck him on the head, causing enough pain from the velocity of falling that he had dropped to the ground and curled in on himself.
The next second someone was shaking him, not helping with the throbbing that was currently happening beneath his hands, “Stop shaking me!” Hakyeon shouted, not registering the voice as he just wanted everything to quit moving.
As he dropped his hands to swat at the ones grabbing him, his hood fell and his eyes met a pair of all too familiar ones, “....Taekwoon-ssi?!”
His mind didn’t have time to fully register that he was practically in the arms of the handsome father, sweat-soaked and in a less than attractive tracksuit, before the kids came sprinting over, “Hakyeon-oppa!” Binah shrieked, throwing herself into his arms; Hakyeon grunted and about fell over, “Ah be careful, Binah.”
Hyogi was at his side immediately after, poking around his skull and examining him closely, “Nothing is broken, is it hyung? You know I have some really good medicine that will make you feel no pain at all!”
Hakyeon couldn't help but chuckle as he gently patted Hyogi’s hand, his chubby poking fingers making his head sting, “I’m ok, but thank you.”
“It was all Daddy’s fault!” Binah quickly chimed in as Hakyeon glanced to Taekwoon, mustering a small smile even though the small movement made his head twinge and he winced, “Is this payback for what happened to Hyogi?”
Taekwoon was still in shock, frozen to the spot as the scene unfolded before him in great confusion. Was the man before him the same one who’d been showing up at his house for the past two days?
Hakyeon’s perfectly matching track suit with his running shoes undeniably illustrated a different image. He usually presented a more neat and casual look that displayed his younger style.
Now though...the sweat clinging to his dark strands in turn clinging to his forehead...Taekwoon’s heart dropped when all of a sudden Binah was shaking him into focus.
“Earth to dad! You weren’t the one who was just cannonballed in the head,” Binah’s narrowed eyes were on Taekwoon as she then widened them, giving him a “look” that meant he had someone important to respond to.
He was beginning to think it was troublesome how much his children liked Hakyeon.
“A-Ah, no, it isn’t. It was an accident,” Taekwoon assured. He didn’t even recognize Hakyeon.
“Are you okay, though?” Taekwoon’s fingers hesitantly lifted up, slowly brushing a few of those damp strands back to check for any scrapes. There was concern written along his features between his pursed lips and knit brows.
Again whatever gods existed were thanked by Hakyeon for the bronze tone of his skin, positive he was blushing from the base of his neck to the tips of his ears given the way his heart was about to burst from his chest at the gentle touch of Taekwoon’s fingers; he swore his skin sparked at the contact.
“I-I’m cute.” Hakyeon managed to stutter, not really sure or aware of what he was speaking as he couldn’t gather his thoughts at the moment, words in his head coming together about as well as water and oil, “You’re fine.” His smile was so reassuring though he was convinced he had just told Taekwoon he was quite alright and his feelings towards him were kept tucked safely inside his head.
Mentally he wasn't sure if Hakyeon was okay, muttering nonsense that Taekwoon quickly dismissed. Physically though he seemed fine, still assessing him with a worried gaze.
Hakyeon’s body temperature wasn’t rising just from the strain of his run anymore as his eyes took in the concerned expression painted so clearly on Taekwoon’s face; Hakyeon couldn’t recall anyone outside his family ever looking at him like that. But he wasn’t left long to dwell on it, which was probably best for his sanity.
“If this were to be payback, it wouldn’t be for Hyogi’s injury,” Taekwoon confessed as soon as he saw Hakyeon wasn’t hurt badly. The smallest smirk pushed his lips out of their initial frown, his eyes landing on Hakyeon.
Just when Hakyeon thought this moment couldn’t get any more perfect, Taekwoon smiled at him and Hakyeon felt his entire world was imploding on itself.
Whatever smiles Taekwoon had given him before had just been out of common courtesy, gratitude for Hakyeon simply doing his job. But this one, this one was clearly in jest, Taekwoon lamenting the fact that he hadn’t forgotten about their embarrassing occurrence the other morning.
Hakyeon would take a thousand soccer balls to the head if it meant seeing Taekwoon smile like that at him again.
"Can you stand up?" Taekwoon asked.
As he stood up, he cleared the dust off his own shorts and spandex beneath. He then offered a hand out to Hakyeon, feeling their warm palms slide together as he helped him stand.
Nodding as he extended a hand to grasp Taekwoon’s, Hakyeon hoped his own hand wasn’t too clammy. Or that Taekwoon wouldn’t notice the way it was shaking before their hands joined.
Taekwoon’s hand, was of course, soft but Hakyeon could feel some rough calluses that were certain to come with the stress of fatherhood. But Hakyeon didn’t mind, it felt perfect.
“You know, this is just like something out of one of those corny romantic comedy movies," that Hakyeon loved. “I bet no one would believe this actually happened.”
Now Hakyeon was saying too much. There was no romance involved here, so Taekwoon didn't understand why Hakyeon had to spout off that word.
“It’s fate!” Binah chirped, Hyogi giggling next to her at the mortified expressions that befell Taekwoon and Hakyeon’s faces.
“They’re still holding hands even.” Hyogi leaned up to whisper, rather loudly, into his sister’s ear before snorting back a laugh.
Taekwoon's eyes instantly shot down to their entwined palms, frozen at the truth behind that statement.
Hakyeon immediately pulled his hand back, shoving it into the pocket of his tracksuit, his other hand following suit, “I should...um...get back to my run..” He mumbled but lingered, just in case.
He considered kicking himself a little too hoping Taekwoon hadn’t read him pulling his hand away so quickly as Hakyeon being disgusted at the idea of their hands innocently brought together by a small moment of misfortune.
Binah, picking up on the subtle hesitation, piped up again, “Oppa! You should kick the ball around with me! Daddy might actually kill someone next time.”
"No, he spends enough time with you all during the week," Taekwoon immediately shut down. There was no explicable reason behind his sudden need to cut this coincidental run-in short.
"Aww," Hyogi kicked at the pathway, displaying a full-on pout. "I miss Hakyeon-hyung," he groaned out, entering complete whine mode.
With a quick fluttering glance at Hakyeon, Taekwoon tried to send him a 'no, you should get going' stare. He prided himself in nonverbal communication.
However the message must've been lost for Hakyeon was bending over, patting Hyogi on the head, "Aww, what is an apprentice without his master? I can stay a little bit."
That tugged at the very brittle heartstrings in Taekwoon's chest. He closed his eyes briefly, gathering the rest of his rationale, before he murmured, "Okay, Hakyeon can stay."
Both of his children went up in arms, cheering loudly and pulling at Hakyeon. One of them even snatched the ball from Taekwoon's grasp.
"Tch," Taekwoon frowned, seeing just how expendable he was to his kids.
Taekwoon opted to stay on a bench and watch them run around. It was a sight to see, Hakyeon’s long form keeping up with his children. He’d try to extend his leg to catch the ball but would do it a second too late and miss it, causing Taekwoon to snort to himself.
Despite the mishaps, at least Hakyeon looked...appropriate. The athletic track suit accentuated his legs, impressing Taekwoon as it showed off his calves and thighs that must’ve been built from dance. His hair would also flop around the quicker he ran, giving glimpses of his forehead, a part of Hakyeon that he realized he never saw before.
Yet the vision that really caught his eyes, was the smile permanently slapped on Hakyeon’s face. He could hear the giggles between everyone, laughter spilling forth at each time someone missed the ball and had to run after it.
Hakyeon even stopped running at one moment, taking a second to catch his breath, hands on his hips when he--smiled at Taekwoon.
Taekwoon blamed it on the sun. The sun shed its light right onto Hakyeon at that moment and it glorified his smile even more. That’s why he had to shift his gaze away quickly; the sun made it too blinding.
“Ya!” Hakyeon yelled as he took relief in the air returning to his drained lungs, “Don’t think I can’t hear you laughing at me, Taekwoon-ssi!”
The smile never left his face even as Taekwoon glanced away, Hakyeon thinking he was trying to feign innocence, “I bet you’re about as good at dancing as I am at soccer! I’ll get you into my studio one day and we’ll see who is laughing then!”
Binah shouted as she kicked the ball in his direction, Hakyeon turning in time to see it but his reflexes still lacking as it slipped under the foot he had stuck out to try and stop it.
Binah was a little superstar, clearly inheriting her father’s talent as she dribbled the ball around him. She had tried to teach Hakyeon a few tricks but quickly gave up, “Oppa...you’re really not good at this.”
“Hey, cut me some slack, I’m trying!” Hakyeon protested as he tried, and failed again, to steal the ball away from her; Hakyeon really wasn’t good at all, but he was trying and most importantly having fun.
When it was getting late, Taekwoon finally stood up from the bench, calling out, “We need to go!”
“Oh thank god!” Hakyeon mumbled to himself as he stumbled over to the bench, lowering his sore and exhausted body next to the spot Taekwoon had just been occupying, letting his entire body go limp as he glanced up at Taekwoon; he was still smiling of course, “Where do your kids get all this energy from?!”
Hakyeon considered himself in decent shape from all the years of dance but it seemed it was built more for the even paced exertion of dance and not the quick-winded sprints of soccer.
For an inexplicable reason, Taekwoon felt the need to lean away when Hakyeon slipped by him to drape himself onto the bench. He just noticed the way his heart picked up speed and his eyes drew to the length of Hakyeon’s neck, noting the way his dark hair clung wetly to his tan skin.
“Not from me,” Taekwoon shrugged, answering truthfully. He wondered the same thing all the time. Their mother was gone too early for them to learn any of it from her.
When he turned his attention onto his children, he fell into a small smile seeing their joy.
Hyogi had the ball tucked under his good arm, Binah’s arm around his shoulders as they returned to their father, “That was so much fun!” They cheered, both laughing at Hakyeon’s tired and sweaty state.
“You guys go on ahead, I’m going to rest here for...forever. Ugh, I don’t think I can move!”
This drew another round of laughter from the kids, Binah yanking Hakyeon up by the arms so she could give him a hug, “Ah! But I’m all sweaty!” Hakyeon protested to no avail, soon Hyogi was attached to his other side as well.
Now that he was pulled back into a sitting position, the darker areas of perspiration on his tracksuit were more visible, the fabric clinging tighter beneath his arms and along his lower back.
“I’ll see you guys again on Monday.” His smile softened, kissing each of their heads before practically prying them off of him, “Have an extra popsicle for me when you get home, okay?”
Taekwoon wasn’t staring at Hakyeon for the sake of it. He was always observant of the interaction with his children, seeing how they clung at Hakyeon and dragged him around. It was just a side effect that his gaze kept pulling like a magnet back to the darker patches of fabric on Hakyeon’s clothes as he said goodbye to Binah and Hyogi.
Hakyeon’s eyes shifted back to Taekwoon who was watching them, feeling his heartbeat begin to race again even though he was sure he had exhausted all his energy, “I had fun today. Though I might have suffered some mem-” Hakyeon grabbed his head, twisting up one side of his face into a puzzled expression, “What was your name again?”
An exhausted grunt left him, sweeping in to place his hands at his children’s backs, ushering them away from Hakyeon. “See you Monday,” he called over his shoulder, only sending one look back--a very scolding one at that.
This was of course met with another chorus of Binah and Hyogi shouting off goodbye’s. And it ended with Binah looking up at her father, “Daddy, can you hit more people in the head with a soccer ball?”
Taekwoon snorted and patted his daughter proudly.
*~*~*
“Hakyeon? What are you doing here?” Taekwoon stood in the doorway of his home. It was the middle of the night. He awoke to an urgent phone call of Hakyeon demanding he answer the door.
“I came to see you,” Hakyeon replied, standing there in a matching white tracksuit. He had a soccer ball tucked under his arm. “I’ve been practicing all day and night, just to show you how good I can become.”
At that confession, Taekwoon’s eyes immediately zeroed in on the shimmering glimpses of sweat. Droplets framed the ends of his hair, the edges of his jaw and the dip of collarbone between his track jacket partially unzipped.
Was Hakyeon not wearing a shirt beneath it? Taekwoon swallowed.
“Ah,” was his smart response. He didn’t know what Hakyeon was looking for him to say.
It must’ve been the wrong answer though for Hakyeon was suddenly stepping inside, taking the ball and pushing it forcefully to Taekwoon’s chest to nudge him backwards. He felt the wall against his back all too quickly.
“That’s all? Just an, ‘ah’?” Hakyeon’s stare was unsettling. The usual warmth he carried when he was playing around with his children was absent, replaced with this steady--desire?
The ball was magically gone and it was Hakyeon’s body against him now, pressed so solidly into his frame. Taekwoon’s eyes immediately darted down to a drop of sweat slipping down Hakyeon’s neck, right over his Adam’s apple. His breath hitched at the sight.
“Oh, you like it,” Hakyeon’s eyes lit up as Taekwoon flicked his gaze back up to them. “You like me all sweaty?”
Hakyeon emphasized his words with a roll of hips and Taekwoon’s eyebrows shot up. There were hands on his chest now and since when did Taekwoon lose his shirt he slept in? As dull nails dragged down his center, his vision blurred into seeing white against sun-kissed skin and Taekwoon shivered.
His hands were shaky as they lifted to tentatively curl into the jacket at Hakyeon’s back. When he felt the damp fabric, he finally nodded to answer the question, “Mm.”
Mmm…
Mm....
Taekwoon’s eyes snapped open as he jerked his body in a sudden frenzy. He was sprawled on his stomach in his bed, disoriented and hot--really hot. His sheets were twisted about his legs and his pillows were tossed about.
What just happened? As he went to move, he immediately froze.
Oh no, no, no, no, no. Taekwoon’s limbs were weak as his heart started racking, terrified. He was too scared to look for confirmation, but the second he tried to inch off the bed again, the small bit of friction sent a hot shiver up his body and he cursed.
Taekwoon had a dirty dream about their nanny.
He wanted to grab one of his pillows and scream.
>>Chapter 5<<
a/n: DON'T KILL US THE END WAS ALL J'S IDEA. ~C (formerly Mars)
I dunno why we didn't write this quicker because we finally got Leo to have a "damp" dream ~J
Be sure to follow our Twitter by clicking HERE! :) We'll post regular updates about chapters we're working on and upcoming fics!
We have a special bonus chapter planned to celebrate all of our support ;)
Pairing: Neo
Word Count: 4,690+
Rating: PG-13. (Implied sexual content DUNDUNDUN)
Summary: Single father Taekwoon hires a nanny...for the kids, not for himself. Not even the weekend is an escape.
| Chapter 1|| Chapter 2|| Chapter 3|
The morning light warms the whole kitchen into a subtle glow, inviting and calming. Saturday mornings were always quiet at first, an entire blanket of peace still resting over the children who were finishing up their night’s colorful dreams.
Taekwoon was sitting at the dining table with a cup of coffee (half coffee-half milk, really), still letting its steam trail upwards and waft that comforting aroma of freshly brewed beans. He had his tablet open while scrolling through the recent news stories, headlines that he normally missed due to the hectic week.
It was approaching that time, when his last seconds of silent freedom would come to an end and he’d hear the first wakings of his children down the hall. Only moments would pass before two pairs of footsteps would come running down the hall, shooting past their father and heading straight for the living room with the TV--Saturday morning cartoons.
There it was, laughter spilling down the hall right before he heard Binah and Hyogi racing along.
“Good morning, dad!” They both chimed in, quick to breeze past and make it for the best spot on the couch.
Taekwoon shook his head as he said goodbye to his last signs of restfulness.
Starting their Saturday morning routine, Taekwoon poured them both sugary cereals with a slice of buttered toast and freshly cut pear. He set them on the coffee table in the living room, never a stickler for potential crumb or spilled milk situations.
While they watched their morning cartoons, he got dressed for the day, thankful he could bypass the tailored suits and sport comfortable, casual wear. He put on black spandex framing his long legs, a pair of black soccer shorts and a long-sleeved brilliant blue top.
Today Taekwoon had promised to finally take Binah out to the park for soccer. That wouldn’t happen for another few hours, but at least Taekwoon would be ready; it’s something he picked up in parenting, to over prepare and prepare early.
As he returned to the living room to relax with the children, a commercial was playing on the screen.
On the usual Saturday this would entail Hyogi practicing his praying mantis form, but right now with the condition of his arm, he was sprawled out in despair on the couch with a pear hanging from his lips.
Binah on the other hand was staring right at him. “What?” Taekwoon inquired, not sure what drew his daughter’s attention onto him.
“Dad...what happened yesterday morning?” Binah blinked, her expression unmoving as she waited ever-so-patiently for her father to come forth and explain.
“What do you mean?” Taekwoon truly was confused. Yesterday morning was like every other morning.
Finally, Binah’s eyebrows lifted and she said with a tone that let her father know right away he could not lie out of an answer, “The scream. From your bedroom.”
Kittens shot to Taekwoon’s mind and he lifted a hand to his temple, rubbing at it intensely in hopes that this was a dream and she did not ask that.
“Yeah, dad! We thought you were in danger but Hakyeon-hyung came out saying everything was alright!” Now Hyogi joined in on the conversation, his pear sucked quickly into his mouth as his features became more alive.
“He was right. It was nothing,” Taekwoon dismissed, his other hand waving off his children’s stares as he fought another battle with the oncoming blush.
“But you wouldn’t just scream for nothing!” Binah wasn’t letting go. In fact, she moved from her spot and started crawling on Taekwoon, prying at his hands to remove his weapon of defense.
When he looked at her plump cheeks and sharp eyes, he went for the ‘silence is best’ tactic.
“Dad!” Binah and Hyogi knew him well and knew now he wasn’t going to answer or say anything at all.
"Did hyung discover your army of cats?" Hyogi contributed a guess and Taekwoon gasped.
Tucked away in his bathroom was a small collection of cats he gathered over the years. They orderly decorated the shelf in the bathroom, a homage to the feline creature Taekwoon always admired from afar.
"Tell me when you're ready to head out," Taekwoon made his exit, tickling Binah off him and hurrying up and away.
He would rather spend the rest of his morning alone, away from dodging his children's questions--that was saying a lot for Taekwoon who loved spending every second with them.
*~*~*
It was nice not to have to wake up to the shrill cry of an alarm.
When Hakyeon finally rolled over in bed, peering through his sleep crusted eyes, his cell phone flashed that it was already 11:30; he couldn’t remember the last time he had been able to sleep past eight a.m.
Even though he didn’t have to nanny, he still had a few private lessons at the dance studio today. They weren’t until the afternoon though so he was in no rush as he took his time stretching out every limb of his body, groaning at the satisfying pops and cracks of his stiff joints; damn, he was really starting to get old.
“Geez, those kids really just suck the energy right out of you.” Hakyeon said this with a smile before frowning.
It hadn’t even been 24 hours yet he missed having pretend ninja fights with Hyogi and prepping Binah for her quizzes in the morning. And, even though he would never, ever admit it, he missed seeing Taekwoon passing him glances and the occasional, tiny smile if they crossed paths in the house.
Hakyeon laid in bed for a few more minutes before sitting up and deciding it was time he got ready for the day. As he glanced at his phone again charging on the nightstand he considered sending a text to Taekwoon.
It could easily be excused with reminding him to tell Binah about her project due next week, or reminding Hyogi to make sure he was taking his pain medication for his arm and not to jump on the bed anymore.
Taekwoon was a good father though and Hakyeon was sure he would know about these things already so his phone remained where it was as he rolled out of bed to shower.
An hour later he was at the studio. Today was the first day Hakyeon was starting his private lessons, having to drop his usual six day a week schedule and move strictly to weekend only lessons to have time, and energy, for his full-time nannying job.
It made the most sense even though he missed being able to dance every day, but dancing wasn’t enough to make a living off of at this point. Maybe after a few years, when he had saved up enough to live comfortably, he could start just volunteering as a dance teacher; he never had felt entirely comfortable getting paid to teach and share something he loved so passionately.
His students today were a few young girls around Binah and Hyogi’s age, making him miss the kids even more. They ran through warm-ups and some basic steps, learning a little bit of a short routine as well so Hakyeon could gauge their skill level. Before he knew it their two hours was up and their moms had come to pick them up.
“Ah, you’re such a good teacher, Hakyeonie!” The mom’s exclaimed as their daughters talked about how much fun they had, “I was a little wary when my friend recommended you but she said her son just absolutely loved you. We will definitely see you again next week!”
“You’re much too kind, ma’am.” Hakyeon mumbled with a shy blush, rubbing the back of his neck; one would think with how often mom’s complimented him he would be used to it, but it still made Hakyeon a little embarrassed that the root of his confidence came from these older, married women.
“I’ll see you pretty girls next week, so make sure you practice the steps I taught you!”
The girls answered with a resounding, “Yes, Hakyeon-sunsaengnim!”, chatting excitedly as they left in whispers about how cute their new teacher was.
A heavy sigh fell from Hakyeon, still feeling restless even after teaching. He needed to do something, distract himself, go for a run?
Slipping out of his black spandex and white long-sleeved shirt, he tugged out the navy blue tracksuit he kept in his locker. It had been a gift from his sister’s husband last Christmas, insisting it was the latest trend in athletic gear; Hakyeon had wore it a handful of times around his apartment before leaving at the studio but never out in public.
It’s not like he was planning to see anyone he knew today but he pulled the hood up over his head anyways as he left, jogging over to the park a few blocks away.
~*~*~
Taekwoon smiled as he watched Binah run in the warm, spring sun, the afternoon’s glow flourishing over her as she grinned and caught the soccer ball with her foot. Dribbling it back and forth to practice her growing skill set, she then kicked the ball with her perfect form he had taught her.
Although they hadn’t been able to go every weekend, the weather not permitting like today, Taekwoon still practiced with Binah at their house. He’d show her the correct way to balance her weight and where to kick the ball on her foot; he’d guide her how to even run without the ball.
He had never forced soccer onto his daughter. She only gained the interest by seeing photos of Taekwoon in his prime playing days. Binah always awed and commented how he looked so cool and how she wanted to be that cool.
Taekwoon already thought she was a pretty cool daughter, but he would never curb her ambition for soccer.
Despite Hyogi’s temporary handicap, Taekwoon and Binah would both gently kick the ball his way just to see a small grin light up on his face. He had been feeling rather lifeless and although Taekwoon tried to do the ninja pep talk he felt Hakyeon might have used, his son still didn’t carry his usual exuberance for adventure.
It was one of those moments Taekwoon had caught himself today thinking of the nanny, only to quickly push it away. After all, in such a short time he felt Hakyeon had seen things no human being should be allowed to.
“Hey, dad!” Binah called out suddenly, waving her arm to seek Taekwoon’s attention. She started to sprint quickly, signaling she wanted him to kick it hard so she could run far and fetch it.
A wide smile broke upon Taekwoon’s features, this warmth fluttering through his chest as he carefully picked the ball up between his hands. He squinted out to gauge where to kick it, and with a few quick steps he dropped the ball and let it fly off his sneaker, watching it soar through the air.
It soared and flew and arched through the blue of the sky. Then it started falling down and as Taekwoon’s smile softened, waiting to see if Binah would get it, everything bubbly and delightful in life…came to a screeching halt.
The ball hit a jogger square on the head and Taekwoon’s eyes widened in horror at seeing the person flail and cradle their head while suddenly crumbling to the ground.
Gasping, Taekwoon immediately went into action, ignoring Hyogi’s shout, “Daddy, you killed him!”
Taekwoon reached the man face down on the ground shortly after, breathing hard as he knelt down on the pathway. He shook at their shoulders, urgently speaking, “Are you okay?”
Hakyeon’s mood had increased immensely being out in the fresh spring air, glad to see the final white patches of winter had melted away with the sunny day. Sure it had been a rather uneventful day compared to the couple he had just had but he wasn’t complaining.
Hakyeon wasn’t quite sure exactly what happened next. Something hard had struck him on the head, causing enough pain from the velocity of falling that he had dropped to the ground and curled in on himself.
The next second someone was shaking him, not helping with the throbbing that was currently happening beneath his hands, “Stop shaking me!” Hakyeon shouted, not registering the voice as he just wanted everything to quit moving.
As he dropped his hands to swat at the ones grabbing him, his hood fell and his eyes met a pair of all too familiar ones, “....Taekwoon-ssi?!”
His mind didn’t have time to fully register that he was practically in the arms of the handsome father, sweat-soaked and in a less than attractive tracksuit, before the kids came sprinting over, “Hakyeon-oppa!” Binah shrieked, throwing herself into his arms; Hakyeon grunted and about fell over, “Ah be careful, Binah.”
Hyogi was at his side immediately after, poking around his skull and examining him closely, “Nothing is broken, is it hyung? You know I have some really good medicine that will make you feel no pain at all!”
Hakyeon couldn't help but chuckle as he gently patted Hyogi’s hand, his chubby poking fingers making his head sting, “I’m ok, but thank you.”
“It was all Daddy’s fault!” Binah quickly chimed in as Hakyeon glanced to Taekwoon, mustering a small smile even though the small movement made his head twinge and he winced, “Is this payback for what happened to Hyogi?”
Taekwoon was still in shock, frozen to the spot as the scene unfolded before him in great confusion. Was the man before him the same one who’d been showing up at his house for the past two days?
Hakyeon’s perfectly matching track suit with his running shoes undeniably illustrated a different image. He usually presented a more neat and casual look that displayed his younger style.
Now though...the sweat clinging to his dark strands in turn clinging to his forehead...Taekwoon’s heart dropped when all of a sudden Binah was shaking him into focus.
“Earth to dad! You weren’t the one who was just cannonballed in the head,” Binah’s narrowed eyes were on Taekwoon as she then widened them, giving him a “look” that meant he had someone important to respond to.
He was beginning to think it was troublesome how much his children liked Hakyeon.
“A-Ah, no, it isn’t. It was an accident,” Taekwoon assured. He didn’t even recognize Hakyeon.
“Are you okay, though?” Taekwoon’s fingers hesitantly lifted up, slowly brushing a few of those damp strands back to check for any scrapes. There was concern written along his features between his pursed lips and knit brows.
Again whatever gods existed were thanked by Hakyeon for the bronze tone of his skin, positive he was blushing from the base of his neck to the tips of his ears given the way his heart was about to burst from his chest at the gentle touch of Taekwoon’s fingers; he swore his skin sparked at the contact.
“I-I’m cute.” Hakyeon managed to stutter, not really sure or aware of what he was speaking as he couldn’t gather his thoughts at the moment, words in his head coming together about as well as water and oil, “You’re fine.” His smile was so reassuring though he was convinced he had just told Taekwoon he was quite alright and his feelings towards him were kept tucked safely inside his head.
Mentally he wasn't sure if Hakyeon was okay, muttering nonsense that Taekwoon quickly dismissed. Physically though he seemed fine, still assessing him with a worried gaze.
Hakyeon’s body temperature wasn’t rising just from the strain of his run anymore as his eyes took in the concerned expression painted so clearly on Taekwoon’s face; Hakyeon couldn’t recall anyone outside his family ever looking at him like that. But he wasn’t left long to dwell on it, which was probably best for his sanity.
“If this were to be payback, it wouldn’t be for Hyogi’s injury,” Taekwoon confessed as soon as he saw Hakyeon wasn’t hurt badly. The smallest smirk pushed his lips out of their initial frown, his eyes landing on Hakyeon.
Just when Hakyeon thought this moment couldn’t get any more perfect, Taekwoon smiled at him and Hakyeon felt his entire world was imploding on itself.
Whatever smiles Taekwoon had given him before had just been out of common courtesy, gratitude for Hakyeon simply doing his job. But this one, this one was clearly in jest, Taekwoon lamenting the fact that he hadn’t forgotten about their embarrassing occurrence the other morning.
Hakyeon would take a thousand soccer balls to the head if it meant seeing Taekwoon smile like that at him again.
"Can you stand up?" Taekwoon asked.
As he stood up, he cleared the dust off his own shorts and spandex beneath. He then offered a hand out to Hakyeon, feeling their warm palms slide together as he helped him stand.
Nodding as he extended a hand to grasp Taekwoon’s, Hakyeon hoped his own hand wasn’t too clammy. Or that Taekwoon wouldn’t notice the way it was shaking before their hands joined.
Taekwoon’s hand, was of course, soft but Hakyeon could feel some rough calluses that were certain to come with the stress of fatherhood. But Hakyeon didn’t mind, it felt perfect.
“You know, this is just like something out of one of those corny romantic comedy movies," that Hakyeon loved. “I bet no one would believe this actually happened.”
Now Hakyeon was saying too much. There was no romance involved here, so Taekwoon didn't understand why Hakyeon had to spout off that word.
“It’s fate!” Binah chirped, Hyogi giggling next to her at the mortified expressions that befell Taekwoon and Hakyeon’s faces.
“They’re still holding hands even.” Hyogi leaned up to whisper, rather loudly, into his sister’s ear before snorting back a laugh.
Taekwoon's eyes instantly shot down to their entwined palms, frozen at the truth behind that statement.
Hakyeon immediately pulled his hand back, shoving it into the pocket of his tracksuit, his other hand following suit, “I should...um...get back to my run..” He mumbled but lingered, just in case.
He considered kicking himself a little too hoping Taekwoon hadn’t read him pulling his hand away so quickly as Hakyeon being disgusted at the idea of their hands innocently brought together by a small moment of misfortune.
Binah, picking up on the subtle hesitation, piped up again, “Oppa! You should kick the ball around with me! Daddy might actually kill someone next time.”
"No, he spends enough time with you all during the week," Taekwoon immediately shut down. There was no explicable reason behind his sudden need to cut this coincidental run-in short.
"Aww," Hyogi kicked at the pathway, displaying a full-on pout. "I miss Hakyeon-hyung," he groaned out, entering complete whine mode.
With a quick fluttering glance at Hakyeon, Taekwoon tried to send him a 'no, you should get going' stare. He prided himself in nonverbal communication.
However the message must've been lost for Hakyeon was bending over, patting Hyogi on the head, "Aww, what is an apprentice without his master? I can stay a little bit."
That tugged at the very brittle heartstrings in Taekwoon's chest. He closed his eyes briefly, gathering the rest of his rationale, before he murmured, "Okay, Hakyeon can stay."
Both of his children went up in arms, cheering loudly and pulling at Hakyeon. One of them even snatched the ball from Taekwoon's grasp.
"Tch," Taekwoon frowned, seeing just how expendable he was to his kids.
Taekwoon opted to stay on a bench and watch them run around. It was a sight to see, Hakyeon’s long form keeping up with his children. He’d try to extend his leg to catch the ball but would do it a second too late and miss it, causing Taekwoon to snort to himself.
Despite the mishaps, at least Hakyeon looked...appropriate. The athletic track suit accentuated his legs, impressing Taekwoon as it showed off his calves and thighs that must’ve been built from dance. His hair would also flop around the quicker he ran, giving glimpses of his forehead, a part of Hakyeon that he realized he never saw before.
Yet the vision that really caught his eyes, was the smile permanently slapped on Hakyeon’s face. He could hear the giggles between everyone, laughter spilling forth at each time someone missed the ball and had to run after it.
Hakyeon even stopped running at one moment, taking a second to catch his breath, hands on his hips when he--smiled at Taekwoon.
Taekwoon blamed it on the sun. The sun shed its light right onto Hakyeon at that moment and it glorified his smile even more. That’s why he had to shift his gaze away quickly; the sun made it too blinding.
“Ya!” Hakyeon yelled as he took relief in the air returning to his drained lungs, “Don’t think I can’t hear you laughing at me, Taekwoon-ssi!”
The smile never left his face even as Taekwoon glanced away, Hakyeon thinking he was trying to feign innocence, “I bet you’re about as good at dancing as I am at soccer! I’ll get you into my studio one day and we’ll see who is laughing then!”
Binah shouted as she kicked the ball in his direction, Hakyeon turning in time to see it but his reflexes still lacking as it slipped under the foot he had stuck out to try and stop it.
Binah was a little superstar, clearly inheriting her father’s talent as she dribbled the ball around him. She had tried to teach Hakyeon a few tricks but quickly gave up, “Oppa...you’re really not good at this.”
“Hey, cut me some slack, I’m trying!” Hakyeon protested as he tried, and failed again, to steal the ball away from her; Hakyeon really wasn’t good at all, but he was trying and most importantly having fun.
When it was getting late, Taekwoon finally stood up from the bench, calling out, “We need to go!”
“Oh thank god!” Hakyeon mumbled to himself as he stumbled over to the bench, lowering his sore and exhausted body next to the spot Taekwoon had just been occupying, letting his entire body go limp as he glanced up at Taekwoon; he was still smiling of course, “Where do your kids get all this energy from?!”
Hakyeon considered himself in decent shape from all the years of dance but it seemed it was built more for the even paced exertion of dance and not the quick-winded sprints of soccer.
For an inexplicable reason, Taekwoon felt the need to lean away when Hakyeon slipped by him to drape himself onto the bench. He just noticed the way his heart picked up speed and his eyes drew to the length of Hakyeon’s neck, noting the way his dark hair clung wetly to his tan skin.
“Not from me,” Taekwoon shrugged, answering truthfully. He wondered the same thing all the time. Their mother was gone too early for them to learn any of it from her.
When he turned his attention onto his children, he fell into a small smile seeing their joy.
Hyogi had the ball tucked under his good arm, Binah’s arm around his shoulders as they returned to their father, “That was so much fun!” They cheered, both laughing at Hakyeon’s tired and sweaty state.
“You guys go on ahead, I’m going to rest here for...forever. Ugh, I don’t think I can move!”
This drew another round of laughter from the kids, Binah yanking Hakyeon up by the arms so she could give him a hug, “Ah! But I’m all sweaty!” Hakyeon protested to no avail, soon Hyogi was attached to his other side as well.
Now that he was pulled back into a sitting position, the darker areas of perspiration on his tracksuit were more visible, the fabric clinging tighter beneath his arms and along his lower back.
“I’ll see you guys again on Monday.” His smile softened, kissing each of their heads before practically prying them off of him, “Have an extra popsicle for me when you get home, okay?”
Taekwoon wasn’t staring at Hakyeon for the sake of it. He was always observant of the interaction with his children, seeing how they clung at Hakyeon and dragged him around. It was just a side effect that his gaze kept pulling like a magnet back to the darker patches of fabric on Hakyeon’s clothes as he said goodbye to Binah and Hyogi.
Hakyeon’s eyes shifted back to Taekwoon who was watching them, feeling his heartbeat begin to race again even though he was sure he had exhausted all his energy, “I had fun today. Though I might have suffered some mem-” Hakyeon grabbed his head, twisting up one side of his face into a puzzled expression, “What was your name again?”
An exhausted grunt left him, sweeping in to place his hands at his children’s backs, ushering them away from Hakyeon. “See you Monday,” he called over his shoulder, only sending one look back--a very scolding one at that.
This was of course met with another chorus of Binah and Hyogi shouting off goodbye’s. And it ended with Binah looking up at her father, “Daddy, can you hit more people in the head with a soccer ball?”
Taekwoon snorted and patted his daughter proudly.
*~*~*
“Hakyeon? What are you doing here?” Taekwoon stood in the doorway of his home. It was the middle of the night. He awoke to an urgent phone call of Hakyeon demanding he answer the door.
“I came to see you,” Hakyeon replied, standing there in a matching white tracksuit. He had a soccer ball tucked under his arm. “I’ve been practicing all day and night, just to show you how good I can become.”
At that confession, Taekwoon’s eyes immediately zeroed in on the shimmering glimpses of sweat. Droplets framed the ends of his hair, the edges of his jaw and the dip of collarbone between his track jacket partially unzipped.
Was Hakyeon not wearing a shirt beneath it? Taekwoon swallowed.
“Ah,” was his smart response. He didn’t know what Hakyeon was looking for him to say.
It must’ve been the wrong answer though for Hakyeon was suddenly stepping inside, taking the ball and pushing it forcefully to Taekwoon’s chest to nudge him backwards. He felt the wall against his back all too quickly.
“That’s all? Just an, ‘ah’?” Hakyeon’s stare was unsettling. The usual warmth he carried when he was playing around with his children was absent, replaced with this steady--desire?
The ball was magically gone and it was Hakyeon’s body against him now, pressed so solidly into his frame. Taekwoon’s eyes immediately darted down to a drop of sweat slipping down Hakyeon’s neck, right over his Adam’s apple. His breath hitched at the sight.
“Oh, you like it,” Hakyeon’s eyes lit up as Taekwoon flicked his gaze back up to them. “You like me all sweaty?”
Hakyeon emphasized his words with a roll of hips and Taekwoon’s eyebrows shot up. There were hands on his chest now and since when did Taekwoon lose his shirt he slept in? As dull nails dragged down his center, his vision blurred into seeing white against sun-kissed skin and Taekwoon shivered.
His hands were shaky as they lifted to tentatively curl into the jacket at Hakyeon’s back. When he felt the damp fabric, he finally nodded to answer the question, “Mm.”
Mmm…
Mm....
Taekwoon’s eyes snapped open as he jerked his body in a sudden frenzy. He was sprawled on his stomach in his bed, disoriented and hot--really hot. His sheets were twisted about his legs and his pillows were tossed about.
What just happened? As he went to move, he immediately froze.
Oh no, no, no, no, no. Taekwoon’s limbs were weak as his heart started racking, terrified. He was too scared to look for confirmation, but the second he tried to inch off the bed again, the small bit of friction sent a hot shiver up his body and he cursed.
Taekwoon had a dirty dream about their nanny.
He wanted to grab one of his pillows and scream.
>>Chapter 5<<
a/n: DON'T KILL US THE END WAS ALL J'S IDEA. ~C (formerly Mars)
I dunno why we didn't write this quicker because we finally got Leo to have a "damp" dream ~J
Be sure to follow our Twitter by clicking HERE! :) We'll post regular updates about chapters we're working on and upcoming fics!
We have a special bonus chapter planned to celebrate all of our support ;)