Chapter Text
The day seemed to drag on forever for Ryul he was checking the clock at the front of the class every second it was starting to feel like time was slowing down to purposefully torture him. He felt restless for some reason. All he could think about was Ohyul’s face softening, his eyes turning into crescents, his laugh filling the air while the children played. He must have gotten lost in his thoughts because next thing he knew a melodie played from the PA system.
He sat up quickly, the legs of his chair screeching painfully. He didn't mind the noise; he was too busy packing up his stuff.
He slipped out of his classroom before one of his classmates could invite him out to lunch and quickly made his way to his best friend's classroom. There were still students coming out of the classroom when he got there he bowed politely once everyone was filed out he rapped his knuckles against the door lightly.
He peaked his head in seeing ohyul sitting by the window. It was like a scene out of some cheesy Kdrama, his seat by the window illuminated by the sun giving him a glowing halo he looked almost angelic. Ohyul’s head was down, engrossed in whatever text he was highlighting, his teeth lightly biting into his lips, a habit he had when he concentrated hard. His long lashes leave small shadows on the tops of his soft cheeks. Ryul almost felt his heart flutter, he shoved the feeling down and walked over to his friend's desk shoving his head down harshly.
“Hey what the fuck Ryul?!” Ohyul exaggeratedly grabbed the back of his head, glaring at him.
“Get up, it's time for Jay's break and you know how pissed he gets when we are late because he doesn't get paid for overtime’”.
“Yeah i think i know that idiot lets just go.” Ohyul packed his things loudly to let Ryul know that he successfully pissed him off.
They made their way to the bottom floor and light banter flowed between them, the tips of Ohyuls ears slightly red but he could blame that on the hallways being too hot. The peace did not last long because the second they opened the daycare door they were bombarded.
“Give it back!”
“You’re stupid monsters aren't real!”
“They are!”
“Keonho stop farting!”
“The green thing is coming!”
“Shut up!”
“Dont kick me!”
“Im going to tell my dad you said that!”
Ohyul and Ryul stood by the door in shock at what had been unfolding while they were gone.
The kids had rearranged the furniture in the room to look like a warzone. There were toys scattered all over the floor. Louis was crying in a corner surrounded by pillows and what looked like a makeshift helmet.
Ohyul and Ryul's eyes traveled through the room processing what was happening. Ohyul moved faster than Ryul kicking off his shoes and running to Louis, the child screaming when he felt something touching him only to realize it was Ohyul and immediately jumping into his arms nuzzling his face into the older one's stiff uniform.
Ryul charged towards the 4 year olds who were pointing plastic swords at each other repeatedly calling each other stupid. Ohyul sat up carrying Louis with him.
“Where is Jay, don't tell me he left them alone in here because we took too long.” Ohyul just got here and his hair is already tousled and there were wrinkles forming between his eyebrows. It looked almost painful.
“Jay sucks at his job but he would never leave the kids alone he's in here somewhere.” Ryul barely dodged being hit in the head by Woojin's plastic sword as he ripped him away from Martin.
“Ryul the only other place he could be is the bathroom and he's clearly not in there.”
He looked towards the bathroom door that was wide open and empty which should not be at all without an adult in the room. That's when he realized where Jay was. He moved away from the makeshift trench dropping woojin on the floor and towards the pillow fort in the corner where the twins were arguing with each other.
“Boys, do you know where Mr. Jay is?”
“He's inside.” Keonho pointed at the pillow entrance.
Ryul ran a hand over his face no one managed to piss him off like Jay Park did. He told the boys to go over to Ohyul if this was an anime there would be lightning cracking behind him and the top half of his face shaded as he took off the “roof” of the pillow fort to see Jay napping peacefully with mari not even a single bit aware of the havoc that was happening outside of the fort.
He kicked Jay's leg just for the man to grumble and flip over to his side. Ryul blew air from his mouth trying to calm down so he wouldn't let his temper explode and wake up the baby. He opted for the next best option, bending down and pulling on his seniors' ear harshly, the older waking up immediately.
“Ouch ouch ouch! What is your problem!”
“We leave for school for a couple and come back to you sleeping while the boys are ripping each other's heads off. What do you mean what is my problem!” He threw his hands in the air exasperatedly forgetting to lower his voice.
Mari stirred. Fortunately for them she stayed asleep, her chest rising slowly. She was the only peace and calm in this daycare currently.
“I must have dozed off while putting her to sleep im sorry.”
He stood up scratching his back slipping into his shoes.
“Where are you going?” Ohyul stepped in front of the door blocking Jay from leaving.
“Taking my break, what do you think I'm doing?”
Ohyul’s eye twitched louis tensing he could feel the anger radiating off of him sliding out of his arms and running to Juhoon holding his hand tightly.
“You think you deserve a break after what you just did?” Ryul was making his way towards the two of them and stood next to his friend.
“Listen, it was a one time mistake. Can I take my break now i dont get paid for overtime you know.”
“Seems to me you already took your break.” Ohyul snapped, crossing his arms squinting at jay if looks could kill jay would be a pile of dust on the floor.
The younger boys were all sat on the floor watching as the 3 gave each other the death stare. Of course Martin and Woojin were the most entertained, their mouths hanging open a sparkle in their eyes. Seonghyeon and Juhoon were patting a sniffling Louis comfortingly. Keonho checked to make sure Mari was still sleeping, he pet her hair and gave her cheek a soft kiss.
“Listen boys I said I was sorry and I meant it. It won't happen again but I really need to take my break so move over please.”
Ohyul was the first to break; he sighed loudly, dropping his arms and stepped to the side pulling Ryul by his arm with him. Ryul’s face gave ohyul a look that said ‘really you’re going to let this slide?’ Ohyul simply shook his head defeatedly.
Once the only ‘adult’ in the room left the teens put their attention towards the kids.
“Is everyone okay? No one is hurt right.” Ohyul bent down grabbing Juhoons face and turning it side to side looking for any cuts or bruises.
“We okay, we were going ready for the green thing to come.” Keonho answered, patting Ohyul’s shoulder.
“I told a trillion times you butthead the green thing isn't real!” Martin dramatically fell back on the carpet.
A Ryul sighed, “I'm starting to think we overestimated your maturity.”
“I am very mature.” Woojin puffed out his small chest and he looked more cute than intimidating.
“Whatever, are you guys hungry? It's lunch time.” ohyul smiled warmly, pinching Louis puffy red cheeks that were covered in salt.
“Yayyyy! food!” The twins immediately ran to their cubbies grabbing their lunch boxes.
The other boys followed after them, everyone sat in a circle revealing to each other what their parents had packed for lunch that day.
“Do you guys know how long Mari has been sleeping for?” Ohyul asked, wiping rice off of Keonho's cheek.
“She sleep for 14 hours!” Seonghyeon answered.
“No, she sleep for 14 minutes!” Keonho shoved his twin's shoulder.
Ohyul looked at Juhoon knowing he was the only one of the kids who knew how time worked.
“She's been asleep for 4 hours now.” He answered slowly.
Juhoon has been taking speech classes and it always melts Ohyul’s heart when he practices his speaking with the teens he spoke so formally for a 4 year old it was the cutest thing.
“Thank you Juhoon, good job.” Ohyul smiled brightly at the timid boy who blushed and looked down at his lunch.
“I said that!” Seonghyeon whined tugging at Ryul's sleeve.
“Hm?” He looked up from scarfing down his food. He was so focused on eating he tuned out what they had been saying.
“No you said 14 hours.” Woojin snapped.
“Hey hey can we have lunch without arguing with each other please.” ohyul said sternly.
The boys nodded their heads, eating their food quietly.
“Can I feed Mari today please?” Martin asked, closing his lunch box.
“Sure come here. Ryul, keep an eye on them okay?”
“Yes sir!” Ryul saluted, making Ohyul chuckle; he couldn't resist rolling his eyes at his best friend's shenanigans.
Martin helped Ohyul make the baby formula and went over to the pillow fort. Ohyul always felt bad waking Mari up; she always looked so peaceful when she was sleeping. He slowly lifted her out of her makeshift bed, her eyes blinking open slowly she started to whine feeling fussy from being woken up.
“Here give me the formula so I can calm her down and then I can pass her to you.” Ohyul said gently.
Martin listened and quietly handed the formula to the older. Once Mari calmed down he made sure Martin was sitting in a comfy spot lowering her gently into the younger boy's arms.
“Ok and you put your elbow here so that she doesn't choke while she eats.” He adjusted the boy's small arms making sure Mari was comfortable.
Martin's eyes were shining; he looked fondly at the baby eating peacefully in his arms. Ohyul wished he had brought his phone so that he could take a picture. This might be the cutest thing he's seen all day. The chatter from the boys and ryul behind him warming his heart the sight of martin and mari bonding and being so gentle it was moments like this that made him glad he joined the club there wasn't a feeling like hearing children's laughter he smiled to himself letting the warmth spread through his chest the warm fuzzy feeling making his body feel light.
Once lunch ended the teens excused themselves only after pulling Jay to the side and giving him a lecture. The day felt lighter for ohyul now he was excited to spend his evening with the kids once class was over the clock was moving too slow for his liking.
—
The chime rang through the PA system school was finally over and Ryul was already waiting for him by his class door.
“How are you feeling?” Ryul asked, messing with a button that had loosened on his uniform.
“I feel good today. It was easy,” ohyul smiled softly at his best friend, his eyes dropping to Ryul's fiddling fingers. “Oh Ryul, why do your buttons keep coming loose?”
He paused in the hallways turning his friend to face him while he inspected the damage. They were around the same height. Ohyul was only a few inches taller than him but he has a habit of looking up at his friend taking in his features from this close he felt a clench in his stomach. Did he eat too fast during lunch?
He felt weird for thinking to himself that his friend looked pretty but he couldn't think of a better way to describe his looks. His lips slightly chapped probably from the stress during lunch he had a habit of licking his lips and biting off the skin, not that ryul was keeping notes on Ohyul’s small habits or anything he simply spent a lot of time with his his best friend it would be impossible to not notice his habits. Or at least that's what Ryul told himself.
The feeling of Ohyul’s warm hands fiddling with the loose button against his chest felt like a punch to the gut. He felt like he was being bombarded with all kinds of thoughts and emotions he was too scared to think too hard into.
“When we get to the daycare you can change into your gym clothes while I sew it back on okay?” He looked at his friend's face who looked like he was deep in thought and what looked like… admiration.
Ohyul felt a flutter in is chest a heat in the back of his neck threatening to show itself he quickly removed his hands clenching and unclenching them at his sides trying to get rid of the tingling feeling that was starting to spread to his stomach turning back towards the hallway he loudly cleared his throat.
“Jay better not be asleep when we get there or I'm reporting him to the school.” Ohyul bluffed.
Ryul snorted, “yeah right if Jay gets fired then the day care club would be shut down and those kids are your world.”
“Shut up.” ohyul laughed, shoving his friend away from him.
—
“Ryul, can you play pokemon with us please?” Seongheon and Keonho said in unison, holding out their sticky bent cards out towards him.
His smile was wide, “ sure but don't start crying when I destroy you guys.”
“We have practice now.” Keonho whined.
“Okayyyyy.” Ryul sat with them, grabbing random cards from the pile to make it fair.
Ohyul was sat in the pillow fort reading a story to louis and mari their eyes became heavy. Louis tried fighting off sleep shaking his head. He wanted to hear how the story ended but his tiredness was winning.
Outside the pillow fort woojin, martin, and Juhoon played with beyblades exclaiming excitedly every time the toys would bump into each other. It was peaceful in the daycare. One by one the kids' parents would knock on the door to pick them up. And every time they would pout and go to hug the teens goodbye and run off excitedly ready to finally go home.
Once everyone had left and it was just Ohyul and Ryul left in the daycare the moon lit the room as they cleaned everything up, locking the door and parting ways at the school gate. There was a nice breeze that night everyone went to sleep with soft smiles dreaming about what tomorrow would be like.