Baby One More Time

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/42893706.

Rating: Explicit
Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Category: M/M
Fandom: NCT (Band)
Relationship: Jeong Yuno | Jaehyun/Lee Taeyong
Character: Jeong Yuno | Jaehyun, Lee Taeyong, Original Male Character(s)
Additional Tags: Babysitting, Romance, Courtship, Age Difference, possessive jaehyun,
Taeyong wants Jaehyun but is slightly weirded out, But they fuck in the
end because they are meant to be heart heart, Britney Spears birthed
this fic
Language: English
Collections: Pride Library
Stats: Published: 2022-11-13 Words: 17,767 Chapters: 1/1

Baby One More Time

by 127ghouls

Summary

"When I grow up, I'll make you my boyfriend!"

Taeyong didn't think that the 7-year old boy he babysat understood what he was saying, but
he promised anyway so as not to upset the kid.

14 years later, Jaehyun came back to fulfill that promise.

Notes

See the end of the work for notes

Taeyong scans the notice that their adviser distributed as his classmates busily fix their things,
ready to bolt out of the room. It’s the last day of class before summer break and the dismissal bell
will be ringing in about a minute.

“You can pay for it starting when you get back from break until a week before the trip. Have your
parents sign the waiver as well.”

As soon as the clock hits 5pm, Taeyong joins everyone in filing into the hallways, saying goodbye
to his friends and promising to meet up for video games soon. He jogs to the parking lot and
unlatches his bike before hopping on it.

The trip is still in October but he’s already excited. He heard that there are numerous attractions in
North Jeolla. Since he just celebrated his birthday two weeks ago and they had only gotten pizza
and McDonald’s, maybe he could ask his parents to let him join this trip as a late birthday gift.

Arriving home, Taeyong locks his bike by the gates and comes in, dropping his bag next to the
sofa. “Ma, I’m back!”

His mother walks out of the kitchen and sits on the sofa, picking up the fabric she was
embroidering. “How’s your last day?”

“Good, I guess. I won’t miss my friends because we planned to drop by at each other’s houses to
play. I thought you were done with that, though?”

He walks into the kitchen and takes out a pitcher of water, shaking his head as he sees that it’s
nearly empty. Sometimes his mother could be irresponsible too, but he won’t tell her that if he
doesn’t want to get spanked.

“One of my customers added more orders. I have to finish these all before I have to ship them next
week.”

Taeyong rinses and refills the pitcher after drinking, puts it back in the fridge and joins his mother
on the sofa, taking off his shoes. He keeps quiet as he thinks of how to bring the trip up.

Predictably, his mother picks up on it and asks what the matter is. “You don’t look happy since
there won’t be school for a while.”

Tonguing his cheek, Taeyong places the bag on his lap and takes out the notice, handing it to her.
He tucks a tuff of hair behind his ear nervously, watching her expression as she reads the letter.
“We’re going to North Jeolla in October. It’s not compulsory, but I really would like to go since I
already skipped last year. Plus…we can think of it as a late birthday gift to me?”

His mother folds the letter and puts it on the table, sighing. “If you’re not required to go, then just
stay at home.”

“But ma—”

“It’s already hard to make ends meet, Taeyong. We still have to pay back the money we borrowed
from your auntie. Please understand, okay? I promise, you can go next year.”

That’s what she said last year, too.

Taeyong just nods, smiling a bit as she pats his head before telling him to get changed. When he
gets to his room, he tosses his bag on the floor and plops on the bed to stare at the dead ceiling fan.

He understands that nearly all of his parents’ salary goes to their bills, so he doesn’t want to hold
any grudge against them. It’s not like they are mistreating him. Money is tight at the moment, but
he badly wants to join his friends in October.

There must be something he could do. What if he looks for a part-time job to save up until classes
resume? He might not make the whole amount that he needs to pay but at least he might make half,
or even 70% of it, and his parents could just add the rest. That won’t be too hard on their pockets.

Eagerly, Taeyong gets changed and fires up his computer, immediately going to a popular job
posting site. He filters the results, setting his location to Mokpo to see the nearest available jobs a
15-year old could apply to.

Scrolling through the ads, he scratches his head in frustration. “Why don’t they want to hire a high
school student as a cashier? The work won’t be that hard?”

He’s considering phoning his friends to ask if they know any part-time work when he reaches the
12th page of the site and sees an ad vastly different from the others.

“URGENT: BABYSITTER NEEDED”

Taeyong clicks it and reads the post curiously. The address is just a 10-minute bike ride away, and
whoever will be employed will be required to take care of a 7-year old boy. It’s full-time work but
for an indefinite period, until the family finds a regular nanny.

Seeing the salary at the bottom of the post, Taeyong springs out of his seat. “You’re kidding me.”
The amount could cover his school trip in just three weeks.

As there is no required age of the applicant included in the post, Taeyong tries his luck and calls
the number stated on the ad. It rings thrice before it gets picked up.

“Hello?”

“Hi, um—my name is Lee Taeyong. I found your babysitting ad and I want to know if you’re still
hiring? I’m a high school student though, and I really need a job right now.”

“Oh, yes! I posted that two weeks ago, so I thought nobody would give it a chance anymore. How
old are you?”

“I’m 15,” he transfers to the bed, looking at their small backyard from his window. “But I know
how to take care of kids! I’ve got small cousins and honestly, I’m pretty good with them.”

“Alright. Well, I still have to interview you, so can you please wait for my call? I’m still working at
the moment. Do you live nearby?”

“Yes, I’m just 10 minutes away. And it’s okay, I can wait! Thank you!” Taeyong hangs up with a
grin and goes back to his computer to rapidly compose a decent resumé, sending it to the poster’s
E-mail address.

He gets the call from Ms. Jeong an hour later. Donning a plain shirt and jeans, Taeyong then bikes
to his hopefully future employer’s house. He finds a nice bungalow painted in cream, a car in the
small garage. Taeyong gets off his bike and presses the doorbell, waiting for someone to come out
of the house.

A lovely looking lady with long, curly hair in a ponytail, wearing a Pompompurin apron and
holding an oily spatula steps out with a smile that looks slightly tired, and opens the gates for him.

“Hello ma’am, I’m Taeyong.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Taeyong! Come in! I’m sorry, it’s quite messy. It’s just me and my son here
but somehow it’s still hard to maintain things in order.”

Following her, he parks his bike behind the car and enters the house. She must be a minimalist.
And aside from the array of toys scattered on the living room floor, everything seems to be in
place.

Ms. Jeong turns on the stove and continues to cook. It smells like fried chicken nuggets, and if
she’s cooking it for her son, it must be the one with different shapes, or the alphabet.
“So, I’m a single mother and I’m currently working at home since the last nanny quit. It’s hard to
juggle both work and being a mom, and I would really like someone to look after my son when I
return to the office. Is it your summer break?”

Taeyong awkwardly stands among the toys strewn all over the floor, pocketing his hands. “Yes
ma’am, and I need a job to save up for a school trip in October. I could babysit until classes
resume.”

“Right, and hopefully by that time, I’ll find a nanny to replace you.” That sounds like he’s already
hired, but Taeyong doesn’t want to celebrate too soon. Ms. Jeong grabs a plate and puts the fried
chicken nuggets on it. “My son, well, he’s already 7 and he’s a very sweet boy, but for some
reason, he didn’t get along with his nannies. He made it difficult for them to take care of him,
always being a little troublemaker. How I wish they would have more patience with him but I
couldn’t really keep them from leaving.” She turns to him with the same tired smile. “Would you
like to meet my baby?”

He wouldn’t be able to do his job if he didn’t meet the kid, so. Moreover, he has to assess whether
his charge is a true little devil.

“Jaehyun! Come here for a moment, baby. Someone wants to meet you!”

Taeyong hears slow but heavy stomps, like the child wishes to do anything but meet a stranger. A
boy, quite small for his age, comes into view with a tousled hair and some evidence of a nap on his
pudgy cheeks.

This is no little devil, Taeyong thinks. This is just a child-sized peach. The boy is so chubby it’s so
adorable, like a pillow that Taeyong wants to squish.

Yawning, the boy rubs his eyes. “Mama, I’m hungry…”

“Dinner is almost ready, sweet. But for now, I want you to say hi to Taeyong. He wants to take
care of you in the meantime so mama can go back to the office and make more money.”

The kid, Jaehyun, looks up at him with eyes still swollen from sleep. Taeyong smiles and crouches
to the boy’s height, waving.

“Hi, cutie. Has someone told you that you look like a peach?”

Blinking, Jaehyun pats his face and then his round tummy. “…Peaches are sweet. I like peaches.”

“I like peaches too, so that means I like you already. My name is Taeyong. Would you like to hang
out with Taeyong hyung while Mama’s away?”

Jaehyun looks down at his small feet and fidgets.

Taeyong sees the worry across Ms. Jeong’s features, probably expecting her son to reject him. But
it takes them both by surprise when the boy launches his little boy towards Taeyong and clings,
tugging on Taeyong’s collar.

“Let’s play…?” Jaehyun sniffles. “I have robots!”

The boy was probably just shy, and this must not be how he accepted his previous nannies seeing
the delighted look on Ms. Jeong’s face. Grinning, Taeyong stands up and carries Jaehyun, patting
the boy’s bum. “Okay, we can play! I like robots!”
Ms. Jeong practically skips to the rack of plate, grabbing extra utensils too. “Why don’t you stay
for a while to join us for dinner, Taeyong?”

And that’s the story of how Taeyong gets hired in a snap. According to Jaehyun’s mother, it
typically took Jaehyun days to even talk to his nannies. But they were all women even older than
her, and her son must’ve warmed up to Taeyong easily because he’s a boy, too.

He starts work the very next day after they settled how he will be paid, his schedule, and the
reminders he needs to memorize. Like Jaehyun’s meal time, nap time, allergies, and the likes.

Ms. Jeong is heading to the office, so Taeyong asks permission to take Jaehyun to the pools. He
already brought a bag of his clothes just in case, and seeing no problem in that, she gives him the
green light and leaves some money for the entrance fee. Taeyong prepares Jaehyun’s things after
lunch, and goes to the pool by foot since his bike doesn’t have a child seat.

Despite it being a weekday, a lot of families have decided to cool down at the community pools.
Taeyong takes Jaehyun to the shower area and waits for a stall to be available.

“We should change into trunks first, and then we have to pump air into your floaters before we get
in the water, okay? Don’t jump in without hyung.”

“Mm! I know how to swim! Like this!” Jaehyun flails his arms, hitting Taeyong a few times.

Taeyong laughs, kissing the boy’s shoulder. Jaehyun is really cute! His two dimples pop out
whenever he smiles, and he hasn’t stopped giggling since Taeyong played with him last night.

They change into their trunks, Taeyong helping the boy put it on, and drenches themselves for a
minute before they go to borrow a pump. Once the floaters are snug around Jaehyun’s arms,
Taeyong holds his hand and walks towards the kiddie pool.

Jaehyun huffs. “I don’t want to go there…”

“Eh? Then where do you wanna go?”

The boy points to one of the adult pools. “Are you sure? The water there could surpass hyung’s
height.”

“I have floaters! The kiddie pool is for kids! I’m a big boy!”

“Hah, okay! If that’s what our Jaehyunie wants. But stay close to hyung. Even if you have floaters,
you could still drown if you’re not careful.” Leading Jaehyun to the adult pool, Taeyong gets into
the water first and holds out his arms for the boy, gawking as Jaehyun ignores him in favor of
jumping into the water on his own. “Oh, you’re really brave!”

Jaehyun giggles, flailing for a bit before stabilizing himself, paddling his little feet to swim around
Taeyong. Taeyong then sticks to the boy at all times, refusing to let Jaehyun out of his sight even
for a second.

Later on, when Jaehyun gets tired of swimming along the side of the pool, Taeyong takes him to
the slides, sitting the boy between his legs and wrapping an arm around him as they go down.
Jaehyun’s laughter rings in the air as they do, bubbling underwater, and turns into soft giggles as he
clings to Taeyong’s neck when they resurface.

They try the slides a few times before Jaehyun gets hungry, demanding Taeyong to get him ice
cream.
“Alright. Stay here, okay? Don’t get into the water without me.” Taeyong sits the boy on the edge,
letting Jaehyun dip and kick his feet in the water as he goes to the ice cream stand nearby.

He’s enjoying this, surprisingly. He might have to skip some game days with his friends but at
least, he’s earning some money. And playing with Jaehyun might be just as fun even though
Jaehyun is just the same age as his cousins.

Thanking the vendor as he gets the ice cream cones, a child’s pitiful cry cuts through the joyful
day. Taeyong whips his head to see Jaehyun clutching his knee while sobbing, and nearly trips as
he rushes over to the kid. He glares up at the older boys towering over Jaehyun. “Are you bullying
him?”

“We’re not! But he doesn’t want to get out of the way. We wanna dive and his big head won’t
move!”

Taeyong hands one of the cones to Jaehyun to pacify the boy a bit. “This is public property, and
you can’t be diving around the pool since it’s dangerous. Go away before I come looking for your
parents and tell them what you did.” He glowers hard enough for them to scamper away, gaze
softening into worry when he takes a look at Jaehyun’s knee. “What did they do…?”

Jaehyun sniffles, licking the ice cream. “One of them pushed me when I won’t move away, hyung.
Is it broken…?”

“It’s not. It might bruise a bit, though. We’ll put an ointment on it when we get home so it won’t
scar. Do you wanna go now?”

The boy shakes his head, fresh tears streaming down his red cheeks. Taeyong hears his heart
break.

“Don’t cry,” he says as he wipes Jaehyun’s tears away. “I’ll fight the bad kids if they try to bully
you again.”

“R-really…? Like Batman…?”

Taeyong grins, nodding. “Like Batman.”

Instantly, Jaehyun throws his arms around Taeyong’s neck, small face burying into Taeyong’s
neck.

“You’re my angel, hyung!”

Laughing, Taeyong carries the boy and takes him to one of the benches so they can properly eat
their ice cream, consoling Jaehyun with another cone as soon as the boy finishes his.

The next few weeks set a new routine for Taeyong as Jaehyun’s babysitter. He spends the
weekends either at home or with his friends, and during Monday to Friday, he’s with the little boy.

Because Ms. Jeong has already prepared breakfast by the time Taeyong comes over, he only has to
think of what to make for his and Jaehyun’s lunch. Most of the time he cooks whatever is in the
fridge (it’s always stocked!), but Ms. Jeong always leaves behind everyday allowance for him and
Jaehyun so Taeyong takes the kid sometimes to McDonald’s or calls for a delivery.
For the rest of the day, they either watch Lion King aka Jaehyun’s favorite movie, or go to the park
to pick some flowers and make a flower crown for each other. Jaehyun always takes a bath before
they leave, but never lets Taeyong assist him, although he makes the babysitter tie his shoelaces.

Twice since starting his job, Taeyong has taken Jaehyun to the Mokpo Children’s Sea Science
Museum. It was outside the budget that Ms. Jeong allotted, so he used his own money just to make
Jaehyun happy. Naturally, Ms. Jeong found out and tried to give his money back, but Taeyong
declined it. She already hands him the allowance they don’t use at the end of each day.

Then with Ms. Jeong being a busy office worker, there are days that she comes home later so
Taeyong stays behind to entertain Jaehyun by reading him some of the books from the boy’s
Geronimo Stilton collection. Jaehyun says he likes the characters and isn’t scared of them, and if
his mama lets him, he’d even get a pet mouse.

“That afternoon, Fogg, Passerpartout, General Cromarty, and Princess Aouda caught a train to
Calcutta. Unfortunately, the general had to get off at one of the stops along the way to rejoin his
troops. Fogg promises the general that he would come visit once they both returned to London.
Even so, it was enormousely hard to say goodbye!” Taeyong reads the book with feelings, glancing
at his charge on the bed. “Are you still listening?”

Lying on his stomach while kicking his legs in the air, Jaehyun flips the pages of another
Geronimo Stilton book. “I am! I’m just looking at this, hyung.”

“But you’re not listening.”

“Jaehyunie said he is! Hyung’s voice is really nice… Like hyung should keep reading me a lot of
books.”

“You’re flattering me now.” Taeyong turns the page of the book he’s holding. “Then if you’re
really listening, should I quiz you?”

The boy shoots him a pouty glare. “I hate going to school! No quiz! Taeyong hyung, don’t be like
my teacher!”

“Fine, but you have to listen while I continue to read.”

“I don’t know, hyung…” Sitting up, Jaehyun swings his short legs over the edge of his bed and
clasps his hands. “Hyung, do you think I could have more chocolates?”

Taeyong squints. “But you just had dinner. And you ate two bananas for dessert. Your mama said
you shouldn’t have too much sweets.”

“Bananas are not chocolates! And mama isn’t here. She won’t notice, hyung. If she asks where the
chocolate is, just tell her you ate it.”

Oh, this boy is so cunning sometimes it amuses Taeyong. “Me? You’re actually going to make me
throw myself under the bus for you?”

“Wha—?” Fear fills the boy’s eyes. His lips even wobble as he quickly tears up. “Hyung! Don’t get
hit by the bus! I don’t want hyung to die! I like Taeyong hyung!”

“Oh—I wasn’t saying it literally.” Closing the book, Taeyong softly pinches Jaehyun’s cheeks to
cheer him up. “Don’t be sad. Hyung is sorry! I’m not gonna die, okay? I’m only 15.”

Jaehyun sniffles, rubbing his eyes. “15 is old. I’m just 7.”
“Yes, you’re just a bubu. So since you’re a bubu, you can’t eat too much sweets or you’ll ruin your
teeth.”

“I can brush my teeth after. Please, hyungie…?”

Taeyong sighs, unable to resist the pleading eyes. “Just one piece, okay?” When Jaehyun nods
firmly, he leaves the boy’s room to grab a Hershey’s chocolate bar from the fridge, tearing it open
as he makes his way back. “You have your water on the nightstand, so drink a lot of it when you’re
done.”

Jaehyun breaks the bar in two and offers the other half to him. “Say ah!”

Snorting, Taeyong opens his mouth to take a big bite of the chocolate and help Jaehyun finish it
quickly.

Suffice to say, he and Jaehyun have formed an extraordinary friendship. Taeyong’s friends poked
fun at him but he sincerely enjoys his job. It’s not difficult, and Jaehyun is a joy to be with despite
their 8-year age difference. If possible, Taeyong would like to keep visiting Jaehyun even when
he’s not the boy’s babysitter anymore.

He puts the book back down when his phone rings. Ms. Jeong is calling him. “Hello, ma’am?”

“Taeyong, I’m sorry—but may I ask for a favor? I’m in the middle of a really important meeting
and I don’t think it’ll be done anytime soon. Is it okay if I ask you to stay the night? I’ll pay you
extra. I just need someone to stay there with Jaehyun until I come back. It looks like our team will
be heading out for a drink after, and as much as I want to go home soon, this is a very important
matter.”

Taeyong looks at the time. They don’t have a scheduled video game match tonight so there won’t
be anything for him to do until the next day. “Okay, Ms. Jeong. I’ll just inform my parents. What
time should Jaehyun head to bed?”

“The latest should be at 9. Thank you so much, Taeyong. I know this is very sudden.”

“Don’t worry! I’ll tell him to go to sleep on time. Please come back safely, Ms. Jeong. And good
luck to your meeting.” Taeyong hangs up and looks at the curious boy. “Seems like I’ll be
spending the night here. Does your mom have an extra futon?”

“Where’s mama?”

“She’s still at work and won’t be back probably until past midnight, so she asked me to stay and
accompany you. Is that okay?”

Jaehyun beams, teeth covered in chocolate. “Taeyongie hyung is my angel, so I won’t get scared
even if mama is not here.”

Relieved that Jaehyun is not going to throw a tantrum, Taeyong turns around wondering if there’s
something he can use to sleep on. A small hand grips the back of his shirt, keeping him from
leaving the room.

“Hyung, please sleep with Jaehyunie? Here in my bed?”

Taeyong eyes the boy’s Batman pillows. “But your bed might be too small for us, and I don’t think
your mama would approve of that.”
“Why not? You’re my friend! Mama likes you! And you have to stay close to Jaehyunie so the
monster won’t eat us.”

Every passing day, Taeyong is convinced that Jaehyun’s negotiating skills heavily rely on being a
cutie. “Is there a monster under your bed?” Jaehyun shivers visibly, and Taeyong giggles. “Okay.
You have to change into your pajamas by 8:30 and brush your teeth.”

“I will brush my teeth now!” Slapping the melting chocolate against Taeyong’s stomach, Jaehyun
excitedly slides off the bed to run to the bathroom. Ensuring the child’s safety, Taeyong follows
him and makes him stand on the kiddie stool to reach the sink.

Soon enough, they are both in bed with Taeyong lying on his side so it won’t be cramp. They’d
been playing at the park earlier so despite the chocolates, Jaehyun eventually gets sleepy.

“Hyung, am I your only friend?”

“Do you think I’m a loser?”

Jaehyun’s lower lip juts out. “But you don’t even meet your friends when we’re outside!”

“Because they’re busy doing their own thing, and I’m literally at work. I do have friends, and we
go to each other’s houses every weekend because that’s the only time I’m free to play with them.”

“Okay.” Jaehyun rolls on his side to face him too. “Are they fun…?”

Taeyong raises a brow. “They are.”

“You do big boy things with them? Play big boy games?”

“Mm. You and I can’t play big boy games yet because you’re only 7.” The kid’s pout deepens.
“What’s wrong?”

“…Then who is better, hyung? Your friends, or Jaehyunie?”

Seeing the shy but hopeful gaze, Taeyong suspects that the kid is jealous, and has already gotten
possessive over him. He won’t be surprised if when Jaehyun goes back to school too, he’d be
bragging to his friends about his babysitter.

And he would be doing the same thing. He’d tell everybody that he’s had the best summer break.
Taeyong pats the boy’s head, dropping a kiss on it. “Of course I like playing with Jaehyunie more.
They’re too loud and annoying, and Jaehyunie doesn’t push or punch me when he gets too
excited.”

“I won’t punch hyung! I won’t hurt you. You’re my angel.”

Taeyong grins. “I know.”

Tugging on the blanket, Jaehyun squirms under it and reaches for his bunny plushie before turning
off his tiny lamp. “Good night, hyung.”

“Night,” Taeyong mumbles in the darkness of the bedroom.

“Hyung…? Can I tell you a secret?”

“If you want to.”

“…I have a crush on someone!”

“What?” Taeyong blinks at the silhouette next to him. “You’re too young!”

He can’t see much of Jaehyun’s expression because of the plushie, but he hears the bashfulness in
the kid’s voice. “But I like them…”

“…Whatever makes you happy. Does your mama know? No? Then is it a secret just between us?”
Jaehyun unlatches one hand from the plushie to grab his, linking their pinkies. Taeyong chuckles
quietly and pats the boy’s tummy. “I’ll keep it a secret, then. Go to sleep now.”

Jaehyun snuggles closer to him, so Taeyong has no choice but to cuddle the boy.

As the month passes by, and there are only two weeks left before classes resume, Taeyong thinks
of a way to make Jaehyun understand that soon, he won’t be there anymore. If Ms. Jeong allows,
maybe he could visit on the weekends. Jaehyun has gotten even clingier, asking his mama to make
Taeyong stay the night again, and would cry his lungs out whenever Taeyong left. It’s gotten to a
point that Taeyong has pitied the boy so much he almost called his mother to say he’s moving out
and living with Jaehyun.

Then a sudden news saves Taeyong the burden.

Jaehyun’s mother gets promoted. Her upgraded duties in the company requires her and Jaehyun to
move to Seoul. Taeyong helps her pack their things for a few days while Jaehyun, who has heard
that Taeyong won’t be coming with them, sulks inside his room all day.

Taeyong also comes to say goodbye to them on the day they will finally leave Mokpo. Squatting to
the boy’s height, Taeyong sympathetically pats Jaehyun’s head as the boy continuously cries.
“Come on, it won’t be that bad! You’ll find many friends in Seoul.”

“But I only want Taeyongie hyung!”

“Hyung can’t go with you, though. Hyung has to go to school here.” Wiping the boy’s tears with
his hand, Taeyong sends Ms. Jeong a small smile as she locks the car’s compartment. “Hyung will
think of you a lot. You made my summer break really special.”

Jaehyun’s tears subside but hiccups make his tiny body jump each time. “C-can we take a picture,
hyung?”

Not wanting to deny Jaehyun more, Taeyong gets to his knees as Ms. Jeong fishes out her phone,
turning Jaehyun around to look at the camera, hugging the boy warmly.

“Say cheese!”

Jaehyun bursts into tears once again as Taeyong beams at the camera. Taeyong laughs, pecking the
boy’s head before leading Jaehyun to the passenger seat. “Alright, time to go! I heard your new
house will be prettier than this, and you’ll have a bigger room.” He buckles Jaehyun up in the seat
and closes the door, peeking inside the car as Ms. Jeong rolls the window down. “Drive safely,
ma’am.”

“Thank you so much for everything, Taeyong. I hope we find a babysitter as nice as you.”

He grins and turns to Jaehyun next. “Be good to your mama and to your new sitter, or nanny. Big
boys don’t give their mamas headache. Bye, Jaehyunie—”

“Wait, hyung!” Jaehyun grabs the door, still hiccuping. “I have something to say!” He takes
Taeyong’s hand and looks up with pure determination. “Hyung, I like you!”

“Yes, you do. I like Jaehyunie too!”

“No, hyung! Jaehyunie’s crush is you! You’re so pretty, hyung. You’re Jaehyunie’s angel. W-when
I grow up, I’ll come back and ask you to be my--- my boyfriend!”

Taeyong looks at Ms. Jeong in shock, the woman wearing the same expression.

Jaehyun tugs on his hand. “Hyung! Promise Jaehyunie you’ll be my boyfriend…?”

Awkwardly, Taeyong laughs as he squeezes the boy’s hand. He doesn’t want to upset Jaehyun
further. “Okay, I promise. So no crying anymore.”

“Bye bye, my Taeyongie hyung,” Jaehyun mumbles sadly as he sits properly. “Wait for me!”

He takes a step back as the window rolls up. Jaehyun presses his face and palms against it, wetting
the window with his tears and snot as the car drives away. Taeyong waves until they’re gone,
putting his hand down when the silence settles around him. He then gets on his bike and makes his
way back home.

“Boyfriend. How does he even know what a boyfriend means? Silly kid.” Shaking his head,
Taeyong bikes faster.

He will miss Jaehyun terribly for a while. And surely the boy will miss him too, but Taeyong
knows that Jaehyun will eventually forget him. As more years come, Jaehyun will lose their
summer memories. He will meet more people, get more friends, and Taeyong will not matter
anymore.

Dragging his suitcase down the hallway, Jaehyun nods at a neighbor passing by and stops before
the door of Room 205, the apartment unit he’s renting during his whole stay in Mokpo for his
winter break.

“I’m already here so yes, I’m sure of what I’m doing.” He turns the lights on and tosses the keys
onto the shoe rack, closing the door. His mother throws him more questions as he leaves his
suitcase to walk around the unit, inspecting it. It looks pretty decent, perfect for one person. “Mom,
I know how big the city is. That’s why I’m staying here for the whole break so I’ll have enough
time to look for him. I also booked a room around the same area where we lived.”

“How are you going to search for him, then? It’s been 14 years, Jaehyun. You don’t even have his
number.”

“No idea but I’ll figure it out. Anyway, I’ll be unpacking my things now so I’ll just call you again
tomorrow. Bye, mom.” Jaehyun ends the call and pockets his phone, removing his jacket with a
huff as the cold hits him sharply. He finds the heater, switching it on before taking his stuff in the
bedroom.

A full-size bed is placed typically in the middle of the room, with a nightstand on its left and a
closet adjacent to it. Jaehyun dumps his suitcase on the bed, tying his hair back with a thin, black
hair band before rolling the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows, displaying the willow vine tattoo
around his left wrist.

An old picture sits on top of his clothes when he opens the suitcase. He picks it up, staring at the
photo of him and his babysitter taken on the day he and his mom left Mokpo for Seoul.

Jaehyun runs his thumb over Taeyong’s face. The photo is fading but their faces are still clear.
Little Jaehyun was wailing, while Taeyong was smiling at the camera with no hint of sadness.
Looking at Taeyong’s face never fails to bring warmth to Jaehyun’s heart.

His Taeyong hyung was the prettiest thing that Jaehyun has ever seen, and even after all these
years, nothing beats that in spite of the thousands of people that Jaehyun has met.

He hated his nannies because he only wanted his mom to take care of him, and he didn’t expect to
be enamored by Taeyong the first time they met. Taeyong looked kind and sweet, roping Jaehyun
into him. Compared to his nannies, Taeyong genuinely liked spending time with him even though
he had better friends to hang out with. Taeyong’s smiles were mesmerizing, and Jaehyun knew
instantly that he wanted to see that smile for a long time. He was just 7, sure, and his mom said it
was just a puppy crush, but he never grew out of it. In fact, Jaehyun’s crush developed into
something bigger and deeper with only the memories of that summer for him to hold on to.

First love never dies, so he doesn’t forget Taeyong. This picture helped freshen the memories and
keep them from disintegrating. For a couple of months when they moved to Seoul, he’d made his
mother call Taeyong. His mom did, two times, letting him and Taeyong talk, before she sat him
down and told him they shouldn’t bother Taeyong anymore.

So as soon as he was allowed to have his phone, Jaehyun asked his mother for Taeyong’s number.
But it must have already changed. Nobody answered. He’d tried searching for Taeyong on social
media to no avail. There was only an abandoned Facebook account, and if Taeyong is on
Instagram, he’s probably using a different display name.

His desperation made him talk to this guy on campus that slightly resembled Taeyong. Though
eventually, after a week, Jaehyun ghosted him. It’s not the same person, and he’ll never like
anyone other than Taeyong. It has been a month since Jaehyun stood him up on their supposed date
and the guy is still spitting fire at him in texts. Jaehyun can’t blame anyone but himself. He
couldn’t nurse his yearning heart and thought idiotically that someone substandard could soothe it.

Perhaps he could’ve gone back to Mokpo sooner, but his mother wouldn’t let him back then, and
he’d only found the time now. Instantly, even though he’s not sure if Taeyong is still here, he feels
a lot closer to the latter. He’ll try looking for Taeyong for the sake of fulfilling that promise they
made to each other. Because there’s no one else for him—if it’s not Taeyong, then Jaehyun is
going to shut his heart off.

Tomorrow, he’s going to start asking around for the Lees. But tonight, he feels like getting
reacquainted with Mokpo. And what’s a better way for a young college student to do that than go
clubbing? Not to hook up, but simply for some drinks and music.

Changing his attire to a club-proper style, Jaehyun braves through the cold night, thankful that it’s
not snowing.

When he arrives at one of the popular clubs in the city, he heads straight to the bar and orders
Moscow Mule, sitting on one of the stools to idly watch the people in the dance floor.
Luck must be on his side, the heavens surely got his back, and the odds are likely in his favor. No
matter how many times he blinks, the man at the center of the room isn’t disappearing. He’s been
missing Taeyong so damn much that the universe has already meddled and thrown them in the
same place at the same time.

Taeyong, after 14 years, has grown taller and gotten more slender, though it is obvious even from
afar that Jaehyun has half a foot over him. His features are more pronounced, jawline sharper. And
his previously black hair is now brunette, possibly dyed. Still, he’s got the same enthralling smile
and huge eyes. A lot of things have changed, but it is Taeyong. It’s Jaehyun’s Taeyong.

The force in his gaze reaches its object, and Taeyong turns to meet his eyes through the crowd,
raising a brow like he used to, movement slowing down as he scans Jaehyun from head to toe.

Jaehyun’s throat bobs. Does Taeyong recognize him? Because if Taeyong changed that much
physically, then Jaehyun is a whole new person. He’s 21 now, bulkier, hair longer, his chubby
cheeks gone. He doesn’t look like a peach anymore.

Straightening up in his seat, Jaehyun holds Taeyong’s gaze and notes the flirtatious glint in it that
spurs his heart on.

Taeyong pushes through the clump of people, breaking the eye contact when he gets to the bar to
order a drink. Drumming his fingers as he waits, he side-eyes Jaehyun and sends the bartender a
barely there smile.

“You can tell me your overused pickup line now, if you have one.”

…No, Taeyong doesn’t know who he is. Of course, he doesn’t. It’s been 14 years, and Jaehyun is
no longer the crybaby who required supervision 24/7.

“I don’t have one, but would it make a difference if I tell you that your beauty takes my breath
away?”

Chuckling, Taeyong takes a sip of his drink and turns to him. “Is that so? I could take it away for
real, make you gasp for air if you’d let me.”

Jaehyun grips the glass in his hand. Where is that sweet, gentle hyung of his? Who is this fox
threatening to bite him? “May I get you your next drink?”

“And then what, you’re gonna ask me to come home with you?”

Jaehyun bites down his tongue, and watches as Taeyong asks the bartender for a refill. Taeyong
should be 29 now, but hell, he just got even more handsome.

“Thank you,” Taeyong tells the guy before downing his shot, looking at Jaehyun again. “Are you
alone?”

“…Yeah, I’m here for a vacation, and to look for someone.”

“A friend? A family?”

“A friend….or something like that. It’s been a while since we’d seen each other, though.”

“Then I assume that when you meet again, they’ll take up all of your time. Look for them
tomorrow, okay? I’ll have you tonight. How does that sound?”
Feeling like he’s getting choked, Jaehyun tugs on his collar and makes Taeyong snort.

“Easy.”

Fuck. He wants Taeyong so much.

“But I can’t go home with someone whose name I don’t know, though.” Taeyong smiles, putting
his drink down. “I’m Taeyong.”

Jaehyun quickly gives his name.

Taeyong’s expression doesn’t even twitch at the slightest. “Nice name. It suits you.”

“Doesn’t it ring a bell? Don’t you…remember me?”

“Remember what? We’ve never met—”

“Hyung.” Jaehyun leans a little closer. “It’s Jaehyun—the boy you babysat before.”

He holds his breath for a moment as he watches it slowly sink into Taeyong. Then Taeyong’s eyes
widen as he moves back, giving Jaehyun a once over.

“Oh my God—wait—that little kid? That pudgy boy? That Jeong Jaehyun?”

Jaehyun’s heart gets rabbity as he rubs his nape shyly, smiling. “Yes, hyung. Sorry, you must have
been surprised—”

“No shit—I can’t believe this! That little boy I took care of?!” Taeyong laughs, combing his hair
with a hand. “I didn’t think I’d see you again! Wow, Jaehyun—are you for real? You’ve grown so
much since I last babysat you!”

Good God, he wants to rail Taeyong so bad.

“And you didn’t grow that much.”

“Oh shut it, you’re just way too tall for your age.”

Eye twitching, Jaehyun licks his lips and grabs Taeyong’s elbow. “Hyung, should we get out of
here…?”

“And where are we going? Let’s stay here and catch up!”

“Right. Should I get you a drink before I take you home?”

“…Oh—” Taeyong’s smile wanes a bit, and he withdraws his arm. “Jaehyun, I didn’t recognize
you earlier that’s why I said that! Don’t take it the wrong way—”

Jaehyun gets off the stool. “I’m taking it as it is.”

With a panicked look, Taeyong’s gaze sweeps the club. “Look, Jaehyun, I—I have to go now! If
you’re gonna be here for a while, then I’ll see you around, okay?”

“Hyung, I—”

“It’s getting late for me, I still have work tomorrow! Bye!”

Momentarily, Jaehyun sits frozen as Taeyong rushes out of the club. Then he realizes that he’s
losing Taeyong again and sprints out to chase after him, but like a figment of imagination, Taeyong
is nowhere in sight.

He just met Taeyong after so many years, and now he’s gone again. Just like that. Why did
Taeyong run away from him…? Did the universe not mean to make them meet this soon?

He should’ve asked for Taeyong’s number right away, but at the very least, he knows that Taeyong
still lives in Mokpo.

Jaehyun’s search should get a little easier.

At Darling Buds, the flower shop he co-owns with his friend Haru, Taeyong arranges the flowers
inside the store to make them look more appealing. Darling Buds is a humble shop but it rakes in
sufficient earnings especially during holidays and special occasions since it’s the only one of the
two in the district just outside downtown Mokpo.

Behind the counter, Haru phones their suppliers. “Yes, five bouquets and then 10 pots of those. I
don’t know why the customers are buying more of it lately. Is it trendy? I know we’re the owners
so we have to be on the ball constantly, but it’s just surprising. Can you have it delivered within
two days? Taeyong—should we restock the roses, too?”

“The what?”

“The roses?”

“Sure,” Taeyong adjusts one of the vases on the shelf, “maybe five bouquets of them for now.”

Haru continues to talk to the supplier again as he absentmindedly sprays water on the potted plants
hanging on the wall. –the red ones, and also the blue. Maybe five each. Should we get five each or
five with both blue and red?”

The question flies over Taeyong’s head as he touches a dry leaf, taking out a scissor to snip it.

“Taeyong—? Taeyong!”

He flinches and looks at his business partner. “What?”

“…I’m asking you about the roses,” Haru says, unamused. “Should we get—”

“Yeah, sure, whatever.” Sighing, Taeyong turns back to the plant and feels the dull sting on his
finger. Blood seeps out of the tiny cut, and he sucks on it as he makes his way to the back room to
rummage through his bag for a band-aid. He finds a Doraemon plaster, wrapping it around his
finger.

Haru emerges from the doorway, blocking his path. “What the—”

“Are you sick? Go home then. I’ll man the shop alone.”

“What are you talking about? I’m fine.” Taeyong goes to the counter and opens the thick logbook
to check which flowers have been bought since they opened at 8am.

“You’re physically here but miles away mentally. If you’re not feeling up to it then you can go
early today, it’s fine.”

Biting his lower lip, Taeyong puts the pen down and rests his elbows on the counter, rubbing his
eyes. “Did I tell you about the time I used to babysit to save up for a field trip in high school?”

Haru shakes his head.

“Well, we met in college and that wasn’t something I’d just tell anybody, so that’s fair. We didn’t
have enough money to pay for the trip so I applied as a babysitter after stumbling upon an online
ad. I took care of this 7 year-old boy and…he was the cutest kid ever. Even cuter than my cousins
back then, if I’m gonna be honest. Got those cute, squishy peachy cheeks with dimples so deep you
couldn’t help but bite them.”

“Ahuh…”

“He only had a mom. Don’t know what happened to his dad since that’s none of my business.
None of the nannies they hired lasted long enough, but Jaehyun and I got along so well that we
even became friends even though he was just 7 and I was 15. Sometimes, I took him to the park, or
to the museum, or we’d watch his favorite movie. I’d read him books too. Jaehyun liked Geronimo
Stilton, if I remember correctly, so much that he wanted a pet mouse. I wonder if he ever had one
when they moved to Seoul.”

Haru takes the logbook from him. “Kudos to you, because I could never deal with kids even if I’d
get paid.”

“That’s fine because babysitting is dangerous.” Taeyong sits down and taps a finger on top of the
counter, looking at Haru. “You’ll never know that the guy you’re flirting with at the bar is the kid
whose shoelaces you tied 14 years ago.”

“…Are you fucking telling me what I think you’re telling me? Didn’t you say you’d go clubbing
last night?” Haru gasps, removing his eyeglasses. “Taeyong, did you sleep with that boy—”

“I didn’t! Don’t make it sound so weird—he’s not a boy anymore, obviously! He should be 21
now, very legal, but no—I didn’t sleep with him.” Stress radiates off of Taeyong as he slumps over
the counter. “God, but I flirted with him because I didn’t know it was him! Oh Haru—the things I
said to Jaehyun… I’m ashamed of myself.”

“Is he back in Mokpo for good? With his mother?”

“I don’t know if he’s with his mom, but he said he’s here to look for a friend, and I assume that’s
me.”

“That’s…cool. I mean, chances of meeting again after so long are pretty slim but I guess last night
was meant to happen. But, if he’s here to look for you, then does that mean he recognized you
immediately?”

Taeyong thinks of their encounter. “He did. He actually looked a little confused when I didn’t
remember him right away.”

Haru slams the logbook close, startling him. “So what I’m getting here is that—he was flirting with
you while he knew who you were. I assume he flirted back. He was flirting with his babysitter
from 14 years ago, and he didn’t mind that one bit.”

Groaning, Taeyong rubs his face. He couldn’t sleep well after realizing what he just almost did
with Jaehyun. “I want to smack myself.”
“Relax. I mean…you just took care of him briefly, and you only met again last night. It’s not like
you watched him grow up. Were you really going to sleep with him, though? If you didn’t know it
was him…?”

The unfortunate thing about clubbing and not getting drunk is remembering everything that did
happen and finding no excuses to deny them. “I think so…?”

Shrugging, Haru quietly walks over to the hanging plants to continue watering them just as the
door opens with a chime.

“Welcome to Darling Buds—” Taeyong’s jaw drops when Jaehyun comes in. “Um—”

Seeing him, Jaehyun’s whole countenance brightens up. “Taeyong hyung! Do you work here?”

“Uh, yes—I own this shop with that guy over there. That’s my friend, Haru. Haru, this is Jaehyun.”
Haru almost drops the sprinkler. “Yeah, that kid? Haha.”

“Have you been telling people about me?” Jaehyun approaches the counter, hands slipping in his
back pockets. “I was just walking around to get familiar with Mokpo again, then I saw the flowers
outside. They’re pretty. I should’ve known why.”

Feeling his cheeks heat up, Taeyong swallows and ignores Haru’s furtive glances at them. “Um,
would you like to buy something?”

“Maybe.”

Rounding the counter, Taeyong walks Jaehyun around the shop while he explains the message
behind each flower. “So…is your mother here too?”

“She’s in Seoul, but she would’ve liked to come with me if she weren’t so busy being a big time
manager.”

“Oh, congratulations to her! I remember her being really hard working. It finally paid off. You’re
in college now, right?”

It still amazes him that the 7 year-old boy he read books to is getting his college degree now. Time
surely fucking flies.

“And taking up something really boring.” Jaehyun touches a flower’s petals so gently like he’s
afraid to break it. “I didn’t take you for a businessman, but Seoul took away my chance to get to
know you better. Although I should’ve seen this coming since we liked picking flowers at the
park.”

“You still remember that…?”

“I even remember what you were wearing when you applied as my babysitter.” Jaehyun looks at
him. “You’re the one who forgot me.”

Even though he knows it was innocent, Taeyong can’t help feeling a bit guilty. “Sorry, I didn’t
mean to.” He chuckles, scratching the back of his ear. “I still can’t believe you’re that little boy I
took to the pools. You were so adorable back then.”

“And I hope that it has already been upgraded. Adorable is not how I want you to think of me
now.” Turning his attention to the pink gerbera daisies, Jaehyun asks what they mean.
“Oh.” Taeyong tucks some hair behind his ear. “They symbolize admiration, adoration, and high
esteem for someone.”

“What about this one?”

“This is magenta lilac. It signifies love and passion. Lilac generally symbolizes first love.”

“Hm. I want a mixed bouquet of these two, please.”

“Okay.” Smiling, Taeyong brings the vases to the counter to pick the freshest flowers and arrange
them into a small bouquet, wrapping them in a special paper and tying a pink ribbon around it.
“That’ll be 45,000 KRW.” Considering the meaning of the flowers, who could Jaehyun give it to?

After paying, Jaehyun takes the flowers and borrows a pen from the holder, scribbling something
down at the back of the receipt. He then hands Taeyong the paper and the bouquet. “For you.”

Taeyong is speechless for a second. “—Jaehyun?”

“I came back to fulfill our promise, hyung.”

“What promise?”

Jaehyun huffs in disbelief. “I see you forgot about that too. I confessed before we left that I had a
crush on you, and that when I come back, you’ll be my boyfriend.”

Oh shit.

“Jaehyun, that was a childish promise.”

“Yet I was serious, and I trust hyung a lot to not break his promises.”

“…We just met again, so I can’t be boyfriends with you just like that. Plus, I literally was your
babysitter.” Taeyong chuckles like he’s constipated. “We shouldn’t date. I don’t…see you like
that.”

Jaehyun’s smile is a stark contrast to his clenched fists. “Then I’ll make you change your mind. I’ll
be here until the end of winter break, hyung. You have my number now, so please call or text me
as soon as you can so I can save yours. You don’t know the agony I went through for not being
able to talk to you. Also, I need to call you for our date soon.”

“W—what? A date?”

“I’m courting you, hyung. Of course we’re going on a date. See you soon, alright?” Jaehyun eyes
the flowers before turning on his heel, glancing at Haru coldly before exiting the shop.

Flabbergasted, Taeyong gawks at the number on the receipt.

Jaehyun asks Taeyong out on their first date two days later, telling him to pack some clothes for an
overnight stay in a resort hotel. Taeyong blanches before Jaehyun mentions that he’d booked two
single rooms. They agree to meet at the hotel, a favorable option than Jaehyun picking him up
because the latter would have made Taeyong tell his parents who Jaehyun is.
Currently, in the bathroom of his private room, Taeyong changes out of his clothes and into the
trunks he’d packed, patting his naked torso as he checks himself in the mirror. It’s stupid to feel
nervous now when he was so ready to get down on his knees for Jaehyun back in the club.

Reminding himself that he once babysat Jaehyun is useless. The Jaehyun today seems like he has
the power to make Taeyong give him everything with just a look.

“You’ll be fine. You’re just going to swim! Like the good old days, yeah? Except that those
floaters merged with his arms now and the only sliding you’ll do is down his—ugh, no, stop
thinking about that!” Taeyong ruffles his hair in frustration. “You’re not gonna do that tonight!”

He hears the knocks on the door, takes a deep breath and puts the robe on before answering it.

The first thing he sees is Jaehyun’s chest, thanks to the slightly open robe. The second is Jaehyun’s
cheeky smirk. Fuck this insane height difference. “What?”

The longer Jaehyun stares, the softer his gaze gets. “You still look like an angel.”

Heart leaping to his throat, Taeyong closes the door behind him and follows Jaehyun on the way
out. Jaehyun may practically be a stranger to him but the attraction is so fucking strong it makes
him dizzy trying to fight that gravitational pull. As he looks at the wide shoulders of the man in
front of him, Taeyong recalls being called Angel Hyung by a cute boy, smiling at the memory. He
doted so much on Jaehyun that it must have pained him when Jaehyun moved to Seoul.

Men in trunks and women in bikinis are all around the resort proper. Spotting a vacant sunlounger
where they can leave their robes, Taeyong beckons Jaehyun.

He nearly snaps his neck. He knew that Jaehyun would have some muscles on him because of the
tight shirt he wore to the club, but holy guacamole—this young man even has washboard abs. “You
must have liked the gym so much.”

“And you like looking. Don’t be shy, hyung.” Jaehyun teases, dropping his robe on the seat. “I
worked hard to get this for you.”

“…As if. You must have dated a lot in Seoul.”

“If I tell you I’ve never had a boyfriend or a girlfriend before, will you believe me?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Taeyong glares at Jaehyun’s pecs. “With the kind of body you have? You’re wasting it.”

“Not anymore since you’re here now.”

What if Taeyong drowns himself in one of these pools? Goddammit. He’s never been a smooth
talker, and he couldn’t perfect it with only two ex-boyfriends on his roster. Jaehyun sounds like a
natural, and he expects Taeyong to believe he’d never dated?

Taeyong goes to the pool with the least people, soaking in the water. Though it’s winter, it’s not
freezing just yet. The water isn’t even that cold. He ducks underwater when Jaehyun joins him to
wash away his unspeakable thoughts, swimming towards the end, and pushing his hair out of his
face as he resurfaces.
He feels great. He can’t even remember the last time he went out swimming. Was it with his
college friends or his parents?

Hands suddenly gripping each of his thighs tears a loud gasp out of him. “Hey--!” Taeyong is ready
to throw a punch, fist raised when Jaehyun emerges from the water, laughing at him. “I take back
what I said. You’re not adorable anymore—you’re a dick.”

“Hyung, don’t be so mean. I was just playing with you!”

But the feeling of those hands still latching on his thighs is not some game to Taeyong. Playfully,
he shoves the younger man. “You might drown me next time, so go away.”

“I can’t,” Jaehyun argues, droplets of water trickling down the plane of his stomach. “Gotta keep
my future boyfriend safe and healthy.”

Taeyong rolls his eyes and splashes water at Jaehyun. “You don’t know if I’m going to agree to
being your boyfriend.”

“You already did, hyung. This is just for formality.”

“It was an empty promise.”

“Are you saying that you like making promises you won’t keep? That just because I was a kid, I
didn’t deserve your sincerity?”

Taeyong looks away, cupping his hands in the water and pouring it on himself. “It’s not like that.”

“I was fucking with you.” Jaehyun grins, flicking water back at him. “But I take this very seriously,
hyung. Other men promise things to break them, but I’m not like those men. Stop walking away
—”

“I’m swimming!”

“You’re not.” Chuckling, Jaehyun pulls him closer before pressing him against the wall of the
pool, unaware of the palpitation of his heart. “Stay right there. You’re gonna get tired if you keep
moving around.”

“Then what are we supposed to do here if we’re not going to swim? What a lame date.”

Jaehyun lets go of him and stands on his right, pouring some water on his own face. “Sorry, I told
you I’ve never been in a relationship before but…what about you? You’ve dated anyone?”

“I’ve had two boyfriends, and neither of those lasted a year.”

“That’s because you’re really meant for me.”

“You don’t know that.”

“And who do you prefer to date? That guy you work with at the flower shop?”

Taeyong laughs, slapping Jaehyun’s arm. “Are you kidding me? Haru is just my friend! He’s not
even my type. I don’t want to date any of my friends.” His words settle into him a few seconds
later. Did he stop considering Jaehyun as a friend at the same time he forgot about the boy?

As Jaehyun squints at him suspiciously, he rakes his fingers through Jaehyun’s hair and pushes it
off the latter’s forehead. “Long hair suits you, but I bet you’re still gonna be handsome even with a
bald head.” Jaehyun grabs his wrist to take his hand off his head, and his gaze darts to the other’s
tattoo. “That’s nice.”

“Willow vines remind me of you and I don’t know why.”

With or without a meaning, Jaehyun has tattooed him on his skin and it makes him feel so many
things at once.

“I’ll get us something to drink.”

When he leaves the pool and casts a brief look at Jaehyun, he gets quick flashes of doing the same
to a 7 year-old boy.

Taeyong passes through a throng of people to get to the mini bar, asking for two glasses of fruit
punch.

“I could recommend you better drinks, sweetheart. Fruit punch is for little boys.”

Taeyong rubs his arms before taking the glasses, turning to see who’s talking to him. Well, he’s not
impressed. “No, thank you.”

“You checked in a room here? Why don’t we meet for dinner at the dining hall later? Then maybe
we could—”

“Again, no thanks. I’ve got company. Excuse me.”

He tries to walk past the guy, only for the jerk to snatch his wrist causing him to spill one of the
drinks. “I’m still talking to you—”

Taeyong pries his wrist out of the guy’s hold, glaring. “Don’t fucking touch me again, or I’ll cut
your hand off with a paring knife.”

The guy grins. “Feisty, aren’t we?”

Taeyong sees the second the stranger reaches for him, only for someone else to shove the guy hard
enough for him to bump into a couple of girls.

Possessively, Jaehyun wraps an arm around Taeyong’s waist, tugging him closer. “Back the fuck
off. This one is mine.”

“Geez, alright!” The asshole scoffs at them before storming off, humiliated.

Taeyong hands the empty glass to a server before slipping out of Jaehyun’s hold to return to the
pool. “That was almost splendid,” he says, “until you said I was yours. You’re still courting me,
aren’t you?” He looks at Jaehyun as he gets in the water, intent wavering under the heat of
Jaehyun’s gaze. “If you want a drink, go get your own—”

Jaehyun takes the glass from his hand—“or we could share,” and drinks it, before grabbing his
jaw.

Puzzled at what the younger man is doing, Taeyong attempts to get away only for Jaehyun to
tighten his grip, tilting his head up. Taeyong gasps as Jaehyun inserts a knee in between his legs,
and lets out a whimper when Jaehyun spits the drink into his mouth.

“Swallow it.”
Normally, Taeyong is not an easy guy. He won’t say he’s submissive, but he feels pliant in
Jaehyun’s presence.

Swallowing the second-hand fruit punch, Taeyong scoffs as Jaehyun releases him with a smirk. It’s
so fucking filthy yet he can’t get himself to hate it.

“How was it?”

Blood pounding in his ears, Taeyong feels the beginning of swelling in his trunks. He swims away
in lieu of answering, letting the water muffle the sound of Jaehyun’s laughter.

14 years later, the endearing cherub that left to Seoul came back as a fucking demon.

Jaehyun dedicates every single day of the next week to meeting Taeyong. Fortunately, the flower
shop is open even on the weekends although it closes early. He’s not a morning person but since
reuniting with Taeyong, he has been rising even earlier than his alarm with a soaring heart. Nothing
can trample his ineffable happiness (the number of times he’d fucked his hand in bed or in the
shower is astonishing) as each passing day makes him feel like Taeyong is going to officially be
his sooner than he thought. Taeyong is not turning him down anymore, letting him do as he pleases
with a fond shake of the head.

He arrives at Darling Buds at exactly 12 noon with a plastic bag of the food he made, smiling
brightly as Taeyong pokes his head out of the backroom. “I brought lunch.”

“Oh, perfect! I’m starving!” Taeyong tells him to sit down and flips the sign on the door, removing
his gloves.

Jaehyun drags a stool to the counter and starts taking the containers out of the bag. He doesn’t ask
where Haru is when he hears the rustling and stomping coming from the backroom. “I can’t
remember what you liked to eat back then, so I just made as many as I could—there’s kimchi fried
rice, kimchi jjigae, soondae, eggs and spam, and hibiscus tea.”

“Is that a picnic?”

“Maybe, if we were at the park. I just wanted to practice my cooking skills so that I’ll be the one to
prepare your meals when we get married.”

At this point, Taeyong knows just how much he means every word he says.

“Haha, very funny. But let me take a bite now.” Picking up a wooden spoon, Taeyong eats a
spoonful of the fried rice before scooping some soup, fanning his mouth as he sips. “Oh that was
hot! And spicy! But really good! Good job, cutie.” Teasingly, he pats Jaehyun’s head. “Did your
mom teach you?”

Jaehyun shrugs a shoulder. “I guess I should give her some credit.”

“Ah—speaking of your mom, she knows that you’re here, right? Like the real reason why you’re
here.”

“There’s no reason for me to lie to her. She initially thought it was ridiculous, but eventually, she
understood my feelings.”
Taeyong gets a paper cup and pours himself some hibiscus tea. “It is indeed a little bit crazy, no
offense.”

“I think it’s crazier for anyone not to fall for you.” Jaehyun contains his smile as Taeyong coughs,
and finally eats a soondae as they get interrupted by a call.

“Hello? Oh—I’m actually having lunch right now, but I could go check them for a sec.” Taeyong
covers the phone and murmurs to him, “I’ll just check the plants in the back.”

“You keep plants in the backroom? Won’t they die if there’s no sunlight?”

“We sell fake plants too, you know.”

Jaehyun lets Taeyong go, face dropping as Haru comes out of the backroom. He continues eating
the soondae, lifting his head when Haru takes a stool for himself and starts eating the eggs he
brought. “What in the actual fuck—”

“I was going to ask Taeyong to have lunch at the newly opened ramen shop down the street, but
then you came over so now I’m famished because I don’t have food.”

“You could get your own?”

“Nah, your food is better.” Haru emphasizes it with another mouthful of eggs. “How do you know
you’re getting better at cooking if you’re only feeding one person? You need feedback from
someone else too.”

Jaehyun snatches the fork from Haru and puts it away. “You’re not the one I’m marrying in the
future.”

“Hey, if Taeyong sees that you’re also feeding his friends, that’s a plus point for you. Don’t you
know that?”

He thinks about it for a second, doubting Haru’s intentions. “Is that really what you’re doing or are
you trying to sabotage me? Do you like Taeyong?”

The question makes Haru pause, setting an elbow on the counter. “I do like him because he’s my
friend. And as his friend, I have to look after him and see if you’re trustworthy. He may have cared
for you when you were a kid, but you’re a different person now. Even Taeyong has changed.”

“What we had, and what we are having at the moment is none of your concern. I knew him first, so
—”

“For a month, and then you left. I met Taeyong in college so we’ve been friends for 7 to 8 years
now. I know him better than you do. The Taeyong you met is not the Taeyong you are courting.”

Jaehyun’s blood boils. Eating a slice of spam, he stops himself from beating Haru to a pulp. “And I
still want him, whether it’s the babysitter or the florist.”

“Don’t you think it’s kinda creepy tracking him down all the way from Seoul?”

Jaehyun washes his food down with a cup of tea, holding Haru’s gaze.

“You’ve never fallen in love, have you?”

Right then, Taeyong comes back with a slight frown, pocketing his phone. “I told them to just call
me again after lunch. Interrupting my break like that, who do they think they are? I might not do
business with them again if this phone rings within the next 40 minutes.” He takes his spoon and
pulls the stew closer to him, asking if Haru wants to eat with them. “There’s a lot anyway.”

Ignoring Haru’s toothy grin, Jaehyun turns to Taeyong with a dimpled smile. “It’ll be Christmas in
three days, hyung. Do you have plans? Why don’t we visit the museum again, or head to the
malls?”

“Oh, sorry—but Haru and I are going somewhere. It’s like a friendship tradition to spend
Christmas together. We’ll be with our families on Christmas eve, then hang out together the next
day. Won’t you come back to Seoul to celebrate with your mom, or meet your friends halfway?”

Jaehyun stabs a soondae and mercilessly chomps on it. “I might just stay in. It’s just Christmas
anyway, no big deal.”

“Okay.”

He tells Taeyong to eat more, pretending that Haru doesn’t exist as he stomps down the feeling of
disappointment simmering in his gut.

Jealousy and defeat overcome him. His one-month worth of childhood memories of Taeyong
cannot compare to a yearly tradition. His own yearly tradition is to miss Taeyong and wish they
were together, and he’d hoped to break the curse this year. Maybe he’s not that lucky.

It’s already snowing when Taeyong wakes up on the 25th, with The Christmas Song tune spilling
into his room from downstairs courtesy of his parents who are much bigger fans of the holiday
than him.

Sitting up, he opens the window and lets the chilly Christmas air blow inside. The sun is hidden
behind the clouds while the road, and the crown of trees as well as the plants are covered by a
layer of white. Taeyong reaches for his phone and sees Haru’s text on top of Jaehyun’s.

He opens Jaehyun’s first. It was sent at 1:14am.

‘Merry Christmas, hyung. I dozed off so I’m sending it late instead of at 12mn. I hope I’m still the
first one to greet you, because I’ve missed out on so many chances before.

Do you like Christmas as much as I do? It would’ve been 10x better if we were together for the
past 14 Christmases. When I was young, I would make mom help me bake cookies. I’d pretend I
was giving it to you, and then I’d eat them by myself. That boy didn’t have money of his own so all
he could do was bake, write letters, draw two stick men holding hands next to a Christmas tree. I’d
hang a sock and wish for Santa to give you to me. Every Christmas day I woke up disappointed, but
looking forward to the next.

This year, I’m over the moon because we met again. It occurred to me that you might not be in
Mokpo anymore, that you might be in a relationship, and if the latter was the case, I would’ve only
wished to rekindle our friendship. I really believe that meeting you as soon as I arrived here meant
something.

You are still my wish this Christmas, and even though we can’t spend the day together, I’m still
happy that we’re talking again. Maybe next year, Santa will finally grant my wish.
Merry Christmas again, hyung. I’ll think of you today like I always do.

Love, Jaehyun.’

A squeeze in his heart makes Taeyong exit the app, plugging his phone to let it charge. He then
retrieves a prettily wrapped box from the closet and takes it downstairs where he finds his parents
dancing in the living room. He tackles them in a hug, kissing their cheeks.

“Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas too,” his father greets joyfully. “You’re up early today.”

“I’ve got things to do. Here’s your second gift from me.”

“What is this?” His mother carefully unwraps it, smiling as she takes out one half of the pair of
wooden mugs with their names carved on each. “This is beautiful. It sort of matches the shirt we
gave you yesterday.”

Taeyong laughs, going to the kitchen. “Why don’t we make use of those mugs now? I’ll make hot
chocolate.” Getting his own mug from the cupboard, he rinses it and fills the electric kettle with
enough water before scooping chocolate powder into their mugs. He also readies the bag of
marshmallows he’d bought last week while waiting for the water to boil, halfheartedly listening to
his parents as they gossip about an elderly neighbor.

He dumps the mallows in as soon as he fills the mugs with hot water, stirring them briefly before
taking them to the table. “Christmas won’t be complete without hot choco.”

His mother thanks him. “I can’t wait for the night to come. The lights outside are really pretty.
Makes me wish it was Christmas all year-round.”

Taeyong pinches one of his mallows and eats it. “Do you still remember when I worked as a
babysitter in high school?”

“Why?”

“Because that boy, Jaehyun, is back in Mokpo and I’m going to spend Christmas with him.”

“Really? That’s awesome. But what about Haru?”

Taeyong blows on his hot choco a few times before drinking. “He’ll understand. I mean, this is
going to be my first Christmas with Jaehyun.”

His parents exchange looks.

“You should introduce him to us soon.”

“…Maybe next time.” Taking another sip, Taeyong gets up. “I should probably get ready now.
Don’t throw away my hot choco though! I’ll reheat it when I get back.”

Going back to his room, Taeyong apologizes to Haru for cancelling their plans before sending
Jaehyun a text.

‘Meet me in an hour at the park where we used to pick flowers.’

/
Wearing a thick coat and a beanie, Taeyong sits on a park bench with his bike beside him, leg
bouncing anxiously. An hour has passed since he texted Jaehyun, and he might collapse if he has to
wait longer.

“Do you like bikes better than cars?”

Taeyong looks up. Jaehyun is wearing a coat too with a scarf to match it, but without a beanie. His
nose could rival Rudolph's. “Bikes are eco-friendly.”

Sitting on the bench, Jaehyun stares at him tenderly. “Why are we together today?”

Blushing furiously, Taeyong is glad that he’d worn a turtleneck and a coat with a high collar. “For
a change? You’ll only be here for winter break, so I might as well see you as much as I can before
you go.”

Jaehyun’s mouth tugs into a smile before he sits on the snowy ground. “Santa has granted my
childhood wish. Now, we can finally make snowmen together.”

Giddily, Taeyong sits with Jaehyun and gathers some snow, patting it into a ball. They make their
snowmen in comfortable silence, and Taeyong scoffs as he compares their works. “Mine looks like
a scarecrow. Yours is so round—that’s what your cheeks looked like when you were just this tall.”
Taeyong puts a hand on his knee, exaggerating.

“I shouldn’t have worked out so much. You’d still suck my cheeks even now if I kept that peach
face, wouldn’t you?”

“I don’t think so. I’m 29, you’re 21, and we’re not that close anymore.”

“I’d let you suck my cheeks down there.”

“Jesus—” Taeyong covers his ears with both hands. “Be glad no one is around!”

Laughing out loud, Jaehyun takes a picture of their snowmen before picking one up and throwing it
to Taeyong.

“Hey—that was foul!” Taeyong brushes the snow off his head.

“Let’s play a game. If you get hit five times, you lose and the winner dares you.”

“Fuck—alright.” Taeyong gets up.”I don’t back down from snowball fights.”

He’s got a good reflex, but Jaehyun is faster and more accurate. They run and hide giggling like
school children, throwing snowballs at each other. It doesn’t take long before Taeyong walks out of
his hiding spot in defeat, cutely pouting with deflated shoulders.

“I win!”

“Stop rubbing it!” Taeyong crosses his arms and raises his head confidently. “Now, what do you
want me to do?”

Jaehyun licks his lips. “Kiss me.”

Taken aback, Taeyong looks at his feet and fixes his beanie before motioning Jaehyun to come
closer.

Cheeks reddening even deeper, Jaehyun takes a step forward.

Taeyong looks at the younger man with a smirk before tugging Jaehyun down by his collar and
kisses him on the forehead. “There you go.”

He expects Jaehyun to demand more, to feel those lips on his, but Jaehyun only snorts before
fishing a small box out of his pocket.

“Merry Christmas.”

Taeyong unwraps it, lips parting in awe as he picks up a necklace with a rose pendant. “It’s so
pretty… I’ll put it on later, okay? I don’t wanna lose it. It’ll be hard to look for it in the snow.” He
puts the necklace back in the box and produces a gift from his coat too, grinning. “I can’t let this
day pass without giving you something.”

After showering, Taeyong had quickly dressed and left to go to the bookstore. He didn’t have
much hope, but when he found what he was looking for, he almost dropped to the floor and cried in
glee.

“What is it…?” Jaehyun’s clumsy hands tears the gift wrapper. He blinks at the two Geronimo
Stilton books.

Embarrassment colors Taeyong’s face. “You might have completed it already, or stopped
collecting it, but I thought it would be meaningful. Did you ever get a pet mouse—oof!” Taeyong
wraps his arms around Jaehyun, grinning. “Merry Christmas, Jaehyunie.”

Even if the angle is awkward, Jaehyun still buries his face on Taeyong’s shoulder. “Yes, I did get a
pet mouse. But it died, so I didn’t get a new one in fear of losing it too.” He pulls away eventually,
smiling softly. “This is the best Christmas ever.”

“Don’t flatter me.”

“I’m telling the truth.” Jaehyun’s phone pings. Whatever he sees on the text must not be good,
taking the pinch of his brows.

“Who is it?”

“Just a very annoying roach.” Jaehyun pockets his phone and slips the books inside his coat. “Let’s
go to the museums?”

Taeyong lets Jaehyun use the bike and hops on the stands at the back, holding on to Jaehyun’s
shoulders.

He doesn’t regret breaking traditions.

The New Year celebration has passed like a breeze, and Jaehyun spent that one video calling his
mother and sleeping the day off since Darling Buds was closed. Taeyong was with his family, and
he understands that it’s not possible for them to be together everyday. He fears that Taeyong might
get sick of the attention. Truth be told, Jaehyun’s world rotates around Taeyong, but he knows it’s
not the same for Taeyong yet, and it might never be.

Today is the 2 nd of January though, and Darling Buds is already open, so he leaves his rented
apartment unit to pick Taeyong up from work and have dinner with him.
Taeyong is already sweeping the floor when he gets there, poking his head in so that he won’t take
his dirty shoes in anymore. “Excited to leave, aren’t we?”

“I’m so tired! I prepared 15 bouquets today, Jaehyun. 15! And it’s not even Valentine’s Day! I’ve
got no help since Haru went to his grandmother’s birthday party.”

“Do you deliver to Seoul?”

Taeyong dumps the dirt in the bin, scoffing. “It’s too far, and Seoul has more flower shops that are
even better than mine, I assume.”

“So you won’t be able to send me flowers on my birthday?” Leaning against the doorway, Jaehyun
crosses his arms. Grinning when Taeyong perks up. “And here I thought I’d finally receive flowers
from someone.”

“Oh, right! You’re a Valentine boy! Well, I could order from a flower shop in Seoul.”

“Then I’ll send you chocolates that day. Fair trade, right?” Jaehyun looks around the shop. “Do you
have more things to do?”

“I’ll be done here in a minute, then we can go. Although…I’m curious about your apartment. Is it
okay if we just get takeouts and eat it at your place?”

If Jaehyun didn’t know better, he’d think Taeyong was subtly trying to hook up with him. But this
too is a huge leap to courting his hyung. If Taeyong wants to come home with him just to eat their
takeaways, then that must mean he’s really comfortable with Jaehyun.

After quickly getting their food, Jaehyun volunteers to use the bike with Taeyong clambering on
the stands again. He lets Taeyong lock it when they arrive at the apartments, and leads the way to
the second floor.

“Here we are,” Jaehyun says unenthusiastically as he turns the lights on.

Taeyong comes in after him, eyes roaming the entirety of the room. “It’s small but cozy. Do you
not turn off the heater? They’ll charge you extra for that.”

“I don’t mind ‘cause I never do well in the cold.” After hanging their coats on the door, Jaehyun
takes everything out of the bag and puts them on the small table in the middle, sitting on the floor
with Taeyong. “What do you wanna do while eating?”

Taeyong points to the TV with a knowing smile. “What about Lion King?”

Looks like Taeyong didn’t completely forget that summer. He’d just filed the memories in the back
of his head, but with Jaehyun’s help, he easily remembers things that matter.

Jaehyun eagerly turns the TV on and signs into his Disney+, playing Lion King as they get started
with their food.

They get engrossed in the movie despite knowing the scenes like the back of their hands. Nostalgia
hits Jaehyun hard as he feels like he’s reliving those days 14 years ago with Taeyong.

Scar is about to belt out notes to a pack of Hyenas when Jaehyun notices a movement in his
periphery. Seeing a giant house spider on the wall, he flies out of his seat screaming, cradling his
bowl of black bean noodles. “AAAAAAA!”
Taeyong looks around frantically, stance in a fight mode. “What’s happening?! Who are we
fighting?!”

“There’s a spider, hyung!” Jaehyun stares at the wicked monster in horror. “Kill it, kill it!”

“Where— oh,” Taeyong stares at the 8-legged creature while scratching his head. “This is pretty
harmless, though. Don’t be scared—”

The spider crawls down an inch. “No no no—” Jaehyun’s phobia kicks in and he makes for the
kitchen to hide. In his haste, he bumps against the corner of the dining table and drops the bowl,
breaking it. “Fuck—” Panicking, he crouches to pick up the shards and accidentally nicks his
finger.

“Don’t touch it!”

Too late. A small bead of red oozes out of the cut. Besides the spiders, Jaehyun’s greatest fear is
blood. He hits the floor and pathetically passes out, just as Taeyong catches the spider with his bare
hands.

The ceiling is the first thing Jaehyun registers when he comes to consciousness, and then the couch
on his back, followed by the still image of a deranged hyena on the TV screen. Taeyong kneeling
beside him on the floor, putting ointment on a cotton bud reminds him of the reason he’s lying on
the couch with a wound on his finger.

“Where is it?!” He springs up, looking at the walls and the floor.

“I already threw it away so calm down, cutie. I cleaned the kitchen too and disposed of the brown
bowl. Can’t have you eating those noodles anymore, so we can just share mine.”

Jaehyun’s fear ebbs away as Taeyong gently applies the ointment on his finger, much like what
Taeyong did to his bruised knee after getting bullied by older boys. Sighing, Jaehyun buries his
face into his free hand. “You shouldn’t be doing this. I’m not a kid anymore, and I’m supposed to
be the one protecting you now.”

“Does it mean I’m not your angel hyung anymore?”

“What?” Jaehyun looks at Taeyong who is smirking. “You will always be my angel.”

“Then let me protect you too. I’m not fragile, you know.”

He keeps quiet, taking in the sauce stains on the hem of his jeans and on Taeyong’s shirt. “We’re
both a mess.”

Taeyong caps the ointment tube and tosses it back in the medicine kit. “That’s what I thought.”

“Wanna shower together?” Feeling mischievous, Jaehyun slouches a bit and slowly scans Taeyong
from the top down. “I could help you scrub your back. My hands are quite talented.”

“Really? After fainting on me?”

Jaehyun winces. He scoots on the couch to make space for Taeyong and presses play to continue
the movie, rejecting Taeyong’s offer to have some of his noodles.

They’re streaming Lion King 2 when Taeyong starts yawning. “Are you sleepy?”
“Mm. People think being a florist is a lazy job because you just ‘arrange and take care of flowers.’
They don’t know a thing.” Getting off the couch, Taeyong stretches his arms and takes his coat
from the door. “We’ll have to cut our marathon short, sadly! Maybe we could continue it at the
shop instead?” Smiling, Taeyong pinches his formerly peach-y cheek. “Thanks for dinner,
Jaehyunie. You cheered hyung up today.”

Detecting the teasing tone, Jaehyun’s brows knit as he opens the door. “It’s late, hyung. Won’t it be
dangerous to bike alone?”

“If it were, I would’ve already grown wings to fly than bike every single day. Don’t make a fuss.
I’ll text you when I get home.”

“Why don’t you stay the night?”

Taeyong looks at him momentarily like he wants to say something, before shaking his head and
ruffling his hair. “I have to go home.”

Jaehyun offers to walk Taeyong to the entrance, regretting not putting his coat on as his teeth
chatter. Back then, his Taeyong hyung would not stay too even if he cried all of his tears.

“Let’s see the dancing sea fountain tomorrow? I’ll pick you up again from the shop.”

Taeyong smiles as he gets on his bike. “That’s a good idea! I’ve been meaning to go and watch it.”
He blinks in curiosity as Jaehyun comes to him. “Mm?”

Holding the other man’s gaze, Jaehyun brings a hand to Taeyong’s cheek and cups it. “Hyung…”

“Why…”

His eyes lower to Taeyong’s parted lips. “I—”

“Good night, Jaehyun,” Taeyong puts a foot on the pedal, smiling. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He
pecks Jaehyun’s forehead and bikes away.

That spot above his brow is the only warm part of Jaehyun’s body. He touches it before pressing
his fingers to his lips as he goes back inside, anticipating Taeyong’s text.

Somehow, it slipped out of Taeyong’s mind that it must be a date. So he agrees to Haru tagging
along to watch the dancing sea fountain with Jaehyun, and now he regrets being obtuse because he
can tell from the atmosphere that Jaehyun would very much like for Haru to fuck off. Inwardly, he
grimaces. Not like he could tell Haru to fling his ass out of here now.

It had snowed earlier, and as they are literally by the sea, the wind makes Taeyong shiver as they
stroll along the pathway while waiting for the display to begin. “It’ll be my treat tonight,” he says
to break the ice as they find the row of food stands.

“No, I was the one who asked you out so I’m paying for everything.”

“Including mine?” Haru quips.

Jaehyun doesn’t even spare Haru a glance. “Taeyong hyung, you can get whatever you want. I
know you paid with your own money before when you took me to the museums so it’s my turn to
treat you now.”

“Do you even have a job?”

“I’ve saved up a lot of money since high school.”

Jaehyun places a hand on the small of his back. He glances at Haru and shrugs apologetically.

Delicious fish cakes swimming in spicy sauce attract them. Taeyong tells Jaehyun that he’d like a
cup as well as a soda, and nudges Haru’s side since Jaehyun isn’t going to ask and pay for his
friend. Once they have their snacks, they find a nice spot to sit and to get the best view of the
fountain display.

Steam dances in front of Taeyong’s face as he eats his spicy fish cake. “Only five minutes left! It’ll
be a twenty-minute display so we can hit the pubs after.”

“Just the two of us?”

“Suddenly, I’m a ghost.”

“Oh, the day I’ve been praying for has finally come.”

The tension makes Taeyong want to curl in on himself, wondering if Haru is aware that Jaehyun
doesn’t like him very much. Even if it’s his fault that he let Haru tag along, he hopes that his friend
gets the memo and bounces.

Focusing on eating his food, Taeyong wishes that he’d worn a thicker jacket. He glances at
Jaehyun who looks very warm in his coat, and scoots closer to the younger man to get blessed with
some of that body heat.

His heart rate picks up again. What if it was just him and Jaehyun tonight? Perhaps he could rest
his head on Jaehyun’s shoulder without feeling awkward.

He really wants to, though. Feel Jaehyun next to him, against him as much as he wants. So what if
he was Jaehyun’s babysitter? He’s done thinking it’s strange.

At last, the fountain display commences. Neon lights among other colors wave around like dancing
lightsabers to the opening of the song, a familiar flute that Taeyong cannot remember where he’d
heard before. It transitions to rap, not giving him time to adjust to the odd jump.

“Ugh—I’ve heard of this one before. It’s weird, but kids nowadays like it.”

“It’s not weird,” Jaehyun argues with Haru. “It’s unique and magnificent. Every beat of it makes a
solid statement.”

Haru frowns. “You can’t even make up the actual melody.”

“This is modern art, okay?”

“This is a compilation of random construction noises—”

“This is NCT127’s best song alongside Limitless!”

Taeyong throws a hand in exasperation. “Alright, alright! I didn’t even know both of you listen to
Kpop—”
Haru gets defensive.

“It doesn’t even sound that bad,” Taeyong says, checking Jaehyun’s reaction. “I think it’s one of
those songs that you have to listen to more than once to get into it. Obviously, it’s not everyone’s
cup of tea.”

“I pity those who don’t like Sticker. Hyung, I can play the flute! Joined a music club when I was in
high school because they needed someone to play that instrument.”

“So you only learned it that time?” Taeyong turns to Jaehyun in amazement.

Nodding, Jaehyun smirks smugly. “Let’s go to the mall tomorrow and get one so I can play
something for you.”

Failing to read the room, Haru chimes in. “Flute is a cool woodwind instrument but personally, I
think the guitar is the best.”

“You mean overrated? Precisely. How many chords do you know?” Jaehyun sighs when Haru
stutters. “Thought so. Flautists deserve more appreciation.”

“Okay, but a man who can read flowers is better than any man who can play a musical instrument.
How many guys in the world can even do what Taeyong and I do?”

Taeyong opens his mouth but Jaehyun beats him right into it.

“But that doesn’t mean the person you like will choose you no matter how many poetically
beautiful flowers you give them. Imagine being surrounded by flowers everyday, taking care of
them together, and yet the person you like never learns the same language your heart speaks. When
it comes to you, and the flowers you give them, they become illiterate.”

Taeyong doesn’t even know what’s going on anymore. He wants to smack himself because it feels
like he’s in-charge of two oversized toddlers. Thankfully, Haru shuts up so he gets to appreciate
the fountain display more while eating his fish cakes.

“This one isn’t a massive favorite,” Jaehyun tells him quietly as a new song follows, “but I like it
anyway.”

“What’s the title?”

“Touch. I think it describes my feelings perfectly.”

Only when Taeyong looks at Jaehyun’s side profile does he register the alarmingly fast beating of
his heart. It’s gotten even faster, and there’s no stopping it. Taeyong is suddenly walloped with the
desire to touch Jaehyun, to kiss him, to see him and be with him for as long as he wishes.

Taking out his phone, he opens the camera. “Maybe it’s time to replace that old photo?”

Jaehyun looks at him with gleaming eyes, reminiscent of when Taeyong promised little Jaehyun
that they’d be boyfriends.

Smiling, he angles his phone and tilts his head towards Jaehyun’s, snapping a picture of them
together. Jaehyun is not crying anymore as he looks at it, but instead, is gazing at him with
palpable affection.

It’s a tad blurry since he’s shaking, but it’s the best photo in a while that Taeyong had taken of
himself and someone else.

“I like you…”

“What?”

“What?” Taeyong’s eyes widen as it sinks into him. Good thing that Jaehyun appears to have failed
to hear it. “Um—I’m just going to throw this away!” He takes his empty cup and scurries to the
trash bin in the distance, crumpling it. “You stupid shit—”

“I heard that.”

Taeyong turns to Haru who also disposes of his soda can. “Was it that loud?”

“No, but it was what I was thinking of telling so it made me a little bit more aware of my
surroundings.” Taking off his glasses, Haru wipes the lenses with the hem of his sweater. “He
should’ve paid more attention.”

Oh.

“Don’t sweat it! It’s just a tiny crush anyway, and probably because we’re together everyday. You
and Jaehyun look good together, honestly. The guy seems like he’s got aggressive tendencies, but if
that’s your type then I say you should go for it.”

“I think I will.”

Wow, he never even took notice, but it’s likely because it is a tiny crush. Taeyong chuckles and
pockets his hands, making the way back to Jaehyun as Haru puts his glasses back on.

A guy he doesn’t recognize is gesticulating widely and ranting right up at Jaehyun’s face. Worried,
Taeyong jogs over to them.

“You deserve worse, you titanic jerk—”

“Excuse me, what’s going on?”

The guy glares at him, asking who the hell he is.

“Can you please shut up?” Jaehyun huffs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I already said I was
sorry, right?”

Taeyong tugs on Jaehyun’s sleeve, asking what’s happening. “What did you do?”

“Oh—he was just hitting on me and suddenly dipped,” the guy says, shaking his head at them.

“Um, you know what, guys—I think I should go.” Haru zips up his jacket, expression pinched.
“Like I knew I wasn’t supposed to be here anyway, haha—good luck?”

Taeyong lets Haru escape the awkward and baffling situation, and looks at Jaehyun who is now
red with anger.

Was Jaehyun talking to someone else all this time?

Seeing the gears running in Taeyong’s head, Jaehyun grabs the guy’s wrist and drags him away to
give him a word.

“Look, we were just talking for a week, and I didn’t even particularly tell you I liked you. Nothing
happened for you to be this furious about it!”

“Well, I’m not satisfied yet so—”

“I don’t care! I don’t like you, and if you’re this bothered by it then you’re crazy and I pity anyone
who’s going to actually date you. It’s been two fucking months, so kindly fuck off, will you?”

Leaving the guy stammering like a fish out of water, Jaehyun heads back and sees that Taeyong has
already crossed the street. Running to the opposite side before the light turns red, he chases after
Taeyong. “Hyung! Wait—where are you going?”

“Home.”

“Then should we take a cab…?”

“I want to talk.”

Sensing that Taeyong is upset, Jaehyun lags a bit behind to give him some space. He badly wants
to explain himself but Taeyong might get angrier if he doesn’t stop talking.

They walk in complete silence for what seems like forever. Taeyong’s house is on the same way as
his apartment, so Jaehyun wonders if they’re just going to part ways once they get there.

“Who was that?”

“…Uh, someone I was talking to back in Seoul. I had no idea they would be here out of all places
in the country.”

“He said you were hitting on him.” Taeyong doesn’t look at him, voice tight. “While you were
courting me?”

“No, we talked for a week almost two months ago. I…texted him because I thought he looked like
you. It was my fault anyway because I stopped texting him without a warning and ignored all of his
texts and calls. From the get-go, I knew it was going nowhere and I was just looking for an outlet
because I didn’t know when I’d see you again. I don’t like him at all.”

Taeyong’s shoulders visibly sag, relaxing. He finally casts Jaehyun a brief look. “I thought you
were two-timing me.”

“Fuck—no, I’ll never do that to you. It has always been you for me.” Jaehyun courageously walks
beside Taeyong, relieved to not get pushed away. But no one talks again until they reach his
address.

Taeyong shifts his weight on either foot, looking down. “I’ll be going home alone from here. You
should go inside, and I’ll see you when you visit the shop.”

“…Okay. Good night.” Jaehyun crosses the street, then turns around as he stops by the entrance.
“Taeyong!”

The older man looks at him with wide, expectant eyes, so bright even from a distance.

“…Do you wanna come in first?” Please say yes, please stay with me a bit longer.
Taeyong wordlessly goes to him with pinkish cheeks. “Let’s go, it’s cold.”

Stifling a smile, Jaehyun leads the way to his rented unit. He turns the lights on and tosses the keys
on the empty shoe rack. “What would you like to—”

Taeyong kisses the words out of him, cold lips pressing shyly against his.

With a burning face, Taeyong pulls away. “You said you wanted to be my boyfriend, so you’re not
allowed to date someone.” His gaze trembles, shining. “You’re mine.”

Brain screeching, Jaehyun forgets to talk.

“…Did you change your mind—”

Grabbing the front of Taeyong’s shirt, Jaehyun conveys his feelings with a rough kiss as he slams
Taeyong against the wall. Taeyong quickly submits, locking his arms around him as he hastily
removes his coat.

“Jaehyun—”

“I waited so fucking long.” Dropping the piece of fabric on the floor, Jaehyun grabs Taeyong’s
face to kiss him even harder, stealing his breath away. Then he picks him up, making Taeyong
wrap his legs around his waist as he blindly takes them to the bedroom without breaking the kiss.

He hovers over Taeyong as he drops the latter on the bed, peeling Taeyong’s jacket.

Luckily, the heater reaches the bedroom. Taeyong trembles anyway when he takes off his shirt at
the same time that Jaehyun discards his, gulping as he soaks in all the skin and muscles that
Jaehyun hides underneath his clothes despite already knowing what it looks like since the resort
hotel.

“I should have fucked you that night.”

Chuckling, Jaehyun leans down to kiss Taeyong’s lips. “Better late than never.” They slow down a
bit, not looking forward to a simple quickie. Jaehyun unbuttons his own pants and kicks it off,
before helping Taeyong get rid of his jeans. Smirking as he sees the growing bulge in Taeyong’s
boxers, his lips don’t halt from feeling that shape of Taeyong’s mouth while his hands wander all
over the hot skin he can reach, purposely thumbing Taeyong’s nipples.

Already sensitive, Taeyong whimpers openly. It’s been so long since he’d gotten laid, so he closes
his eyes to savor the sensation as Jaehyun peppers soft kisses down his neck and chest, mouth
enclosing around one nipple as fingers pinch and twist the other. “Mm…”

Jaehyun laps at the taut nubs hungrily. He’s so in love with Taeyong’s nipples that he takes his time
pleasuring them, switching from one teat to the other, rolling them with his teeth. He chuckles as
Taeyong moans louder. “You like that, hyung?”

Taeyong helplessly nods and pulls him up to kiss him again, palming his chest and stomach
greedily.

He groans in between kisses, groping Taeyong’s chest as he grinds down, feeling the both of them
stiffen completely with every rock of his hips. Biting down on Taeyong’s lower lip, Jaehyun sucks
on it until it swells before hooking his fingers into Taeyong’s waistband, waiting for permission.

Shaky hands grab his, helping him take it off. Jaehyun slides Taeyong’s underwear off of those
mouth-watering legs and stares shamelessly at Taeyong’s cock—it’s shorter than his but thick and
smooth. The hairs around have been trimmed.

Taeyong looks away in embarrassment.

God, every inch of Taeyong is a work of art, flushed a pretty pink. Jaehyun pushes Taeyong’s legs
apart and holds the other man’s gaze as he lies on his stomach and starts kissing Taeyong’s thighs.

Taeyong tearily grabs a handful of his hair, huffing. “Are you going to suck me off?”

“Would you like that?”

“I’ve been dreaming of it since I saw you at the club.”

Biting the inside of Taeyong’s thigh, Jaehyun soothingly licks the teeth mark before running his
tongue from the base of Taeyong’s cock up to the tip. The grip on his hair tightens almost painfully
as he coats Taeyong’s length with spit before his lips wrap around the head.

He’s a virgin, yes, but he’d prepared for this. When they’re done, Taeyong will never think of
another man again.

Jaehyun laps at the cockhead like it’s candy, making Taeyong mewl. Then he slides his mouth
down, taking more of Taeyong, bobbing his head slowly.

“Aaah—fuck, that feels so good. Faster, baby—”

Gripping Taeyong’s thighs, Jaehyun gathers the spit dripping on the base of the other man’s cock
and slicks his fingers, pushing one inside Taeyong’s tightness after a bit of rubbing against the
pucker. He releases Taeyong’s cock and moves up to press his forehead against Taeyong’s,
humming in approval when Taeyong’s hand slides to the back of his neck as he buries his finger to
the hilt.

“Did you let your boyfriends fuck you?”

Taeyong gasps, squirming. “Jaehyun—”

“Answer me.”

Taeyong whimpers, sniffling.

“Fuck—you were supposed to be mine, hyung. Only mine.” Kissing Taeyong’s face, Jaehyun
pushes his boxers down just enough to free his cock and grinds against Taeyong’s hip this time,
finger prodding against the soft, wet walls. “No one else can have you after this, Taeyong. I’ll
brand me on every inch of your body—in and out.”

Taeyong accepts his kisses, legs widening as he welcomes another finger. Moans spill into the
room as their tongues touch, and every hitch of Taeyong’s breath urges Jaehyun to finger him
faster.

It makes his cock throb when Jaehyun curls his fingers upwards and Taeyong arches off the bed
with a cry. He does it over and over, massaging Taeyong’s spot until Taeyong is thrashing, and
flicks his tongue over Taeyong’s nipples before he straightens up to reach for the drawer.

“Please, Jaehyun, fuck me already…”

“Shh, love. I’m on it.” Taking out a condom, Jaehyun rips it open with his teeth and tosses it on
Taeyong’s chest. “Put it on me.”

Sitting up, Taeyong sighs as the fingers leave him. He thought that Jaehyun would merely wipe
them on the sheets, so it catches him off-guard when Jaehyun licks them clean. “Oh my god.”
Quickly, he rolls the condom on Jaehyun’s cock and strokes it briefly, sucking on the tip.

“Shit, you’re so pretty.” Jaehyun lets Taeyong have some fun for a moment before pushing him
back down, nudging his legs wide open as he guides the head of his cock towards Taeyong’s hole,
rubbing it shortly, and moaning as he finally pushes in. “Fuck…”

Taeyong gasps sharply when Jaehyun bottoms out, ass touching the latter’s hip. Jaehyun is so big
—the biggest he’s ever had, and he preens at the thought of being the first to have it. “Don’t hold
yourself back,” he pants out. “Hyung won’t break.”

Jaehyun grits his teeth as he slowly pulls out, and drives his cock back. He repeats it a few times,
never breaking eye contact, and makes Taeyong hold his legs to his chest before bracing his hands
on either side of Taeyong’s head. Unable to hold back any longer, Jaehyun plows right into
Taeyong roughly, knocking lewd moans out of the man beneath him.

Pleasure sparks in Taeyong’s nerves as Jaehyun slams into him deliciously, blunt cockhead
punching his sweet spot again and again. “Oh, fuck! Yes!”

As he takes Taeyong apart piece by piece, Jaehyun thinks of those nights during the peak of his
puberty when Taeyong was the sole reason he’d secretly bought a 12-roll pack of tissue paper.

The sight of Taeyong’s cock slapping against his belly makes him chuckle. “How many rounds do
you think we could have, hyung? Two? Three? Four?”

Moaning wantonly, Taeyong drops his legs to grab Jaehyun’s arms instead, nails digging into the
skin. “Uh, uh—k-keep going…!”

“Four, then. You can’t walk out of this room until you’re round with my cum, hyung.” Jaehyun
spits on Taeyong’s chest and smears the glob around a nipple, thumbing down on it. “I’ll fuck you
over and over and over you’ll be pregnant by the end of it.”

Taeyong didn’t even know he had a pregnancy kink, but God does it turn him on so much he starts
rocking his hips to meet Jaehyun’s thrusts. “Ah, ah, ah—fuck, Jaehyun! Fuck me—”

Sitting on his heels, Jaehyun grabs Taeyong’s hips to lock him in place as he brutally pounds into
him, loving the tight wetness engulfing his cock. It’s so addicting, they should name a drug after
Taeyong’s ass. “Fuck, hyung. You feel so fucking good. So sexy…”

Taeyong grabs the pillow his head is resting on as Jaehyun rails him senselessly. His cock starts
leaking onto his belly, signalling an incoming orgasm. “Baby, I’m going to come...”

“So fast?” Jaehyun prides himself with it. He scoops Taeyong up and sits against the headboard,
cock spearing Taeyong’s ass even deeper. “Work for it.”

Without further ado, Taeynong holds on to the headboard and rides the fuck out of Jaehyun.
Ecstasy melts his inhibition as he bounces wildly with a pair of large hands guiding his hips. “Oh
god, you’re ripping me…”

Biting his lip hard enough to draw blood, Jaehyun watches Taeyong and feels the churning of heat
in his gut. Panting, he mouths on Taeyong’s throat.
 Taeyong hugs his head with an arm as the other hand goes down to stroke himself, screaming his
name as he finally comes. “Jaehyun, Jaehyun—fuck!”

Jaehyun pulls back to see it, cursing under his breath. He forces Taeyong to keep bouncing on his
cock as he too spills into the condom with a grunt, length pulsating with each shot. “Ohhh…”

Kisses rain Taeyong’s collarbone as they both milk themselves to the last drop. Jaehyun lays
Taeyong down when the latter shudders from overstimulation, whining as he pulls out. He ties the
condom and gets off the bed, throwing it in the plastic bin at the corner of the room.

“Wait for me.”

He pecks Taeyong’s lips before going to the bathroom to wipe himself down with a soaked towel,
rinsing it and wringing the water, then taking it with him back to bed to clean the mess off of
Taeyong’s skin and in between his legs.

Taeyong keeps a loving gaze on him throughout.

“Want another one?”

“In 10 minutes. I’ll die if that cock doesn’t get back inside me again.”

Jaehyun snorts and puts the towel away before lying next to Taeyong, drawing him closer. “Be my
boyfriend.”

A dust of red sprinkles across Taeyong’s cheeks. “What else can I do? It’s been a long time
coming, I guess.” He combs Jaehyun’s hair back, rubbing the base of Jaehyun’s head. “You have
to come back once the semester ends, or I can go to Seoul instead.”

“I don’t think I could bear leaving you again.”

“Should I open Darling Buds in Seoul?”

Jaehyun considers it briefly before shaking his head. “Stay here. We can text or call whenever we
can, visit each other on the weekends alternately. And then when I graduate, I’ll get an apartment
here.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously. My first love is here.” Jaehyun smooches the tip of Taeyong’s nose before mounting
him again. “What did you call me earlier?”

Taeyong blinks. “Jaehyun…?”

“No, the other one. You called me that twice.”

“…Baby?”

Jaehyun grins, nosing on Taeyong’s neck. “Say it again,”

“Baby.” Taeyong chuckles, wrapping his legs around him. “Jaehyun, my baby.”

Winter officially dethrones summer as Jaehyun’s favorite season.

End Notes
End Notes

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