Chapter Text
Doyoung woke at 5:47 in the morning from the sound of rain hitting the glass of the window.
He stirred for a moment, confused by the unfamiliar ceiling above him. The morning was dark because of the clouds covering the sun. He could hear some distant sound of thunder coming from the hallway.
Great, he thought. It's raining outside and I have a four year old.
Doyoung slid off the bed and walked barefoot to the kitchen where the noise of the coffee machine was waiting for him. Someone was faster than him, it seemed, because he found Jaehyun sleeping in the counter with a cup of coffee in his hands.
"You're up early," he greeted.
"I couldn't sleep."
"Neither could I," Doyoung said, preparing himself a cup of coffee. "The rain is loud."
"It has been raining for three hours. It is going to rain all day."
"How do you know?"
Jaehyun pointed at the window, "I can feel it. My joints hurt."
Doyoung gave him an odd look, "Your joints?"
"My joints are sensitive. It's a thing. I can feel it whenever it's raining. "
Doyoung smirked. "Sure. A thing."
"I'm serious."
"You're always serious. That is your thing."
"I have other things," Jaehyun crossed his arms over his chest. "Responsibility"
Doyoung let out a chuckle in response.
"I'm going back to sleep"
"No, you're not. You are going to drink your coffee and have breakfast with me and Minho like a normal person"
"The toaster is going to burn the toast again"
"The toaster is not a sentient being, Jaehyun. It does not have vendettas"
"I beg to differ"
Doyoung shook his head smiling, "You are impossible."
"You've said that before."
"Because it's true."
-By the time it was 7 in the morning, Minho was already bouncing off the walls.
"Rain! Rain! It's raining!" he squealed, running through the kitchen with his dinosaur pajamas all soaked from his attempt to stick his head outside the window. "Can we go outside? Can we splash in puddles? Can we-"
"No", said Jaehyun.
"Yes", said Doyoung
They looked at each other
"He'll get sick," said Jaehyun
"He'll have fun", said Doyoung. "We can get him dressed properly. He'll be fine."
"The rain is coming sideways", said Jaehyun. "He'll catch a cold."
"He's four. He needs to play."
"He needs to stay healthy"
"Jaehyun." said Doyoung. "He's been through enough. Let him have this."
Jaehyun looked like he wanted to object but he stopped himself. He looked so sad for a moment, Doyoung thought his heart would break.
"Fine" muttered Jaehyun, "but he wears the raincoat. The one with the dinosaurs."
Minho cheered, "Dinosaurs! I'm going to be a dinosaur in the rain!"
"You're already a dinosaur," said Jaehyun. "You're a menace."
"Menace is a dinosaur? What kind?"
"The kind that doesn't stop talking"
Minho laughed, "That's not a dinosaur. That's you!"
Doyoung snorted, "He got you there"
"He did not-"
"He definitely did."
-It was raining cats and dogs outside when Doyoung got Minho dressed in his dinosaur raincoat and boots.
"You are such a menace", he said, watching Minho run wild in the rain. His laughter was loud and energetic and bright and it filled the grey morning sky. Doyoung smiled as he watched his little friend jump from puddle to puddle.
"He's happy", said Jaehyun, appearing next to him with two mugs of coffee in his hands.
"He's happy", Doyoung agreed, "That's all that matters"
They stood in silence for a while watching Minho chase a frog across the garden. The rain was coming down really hard outside and it was a smell of wet earth and green plants.
"It's nice" said Doyoung.
"It is" said Jaehyun
"I didn't think I'd be able to feel this way"
"Feel what way?"
"At peace. Even with everything that happened." he hesitated before adding, "I thought I'd be miserable forever. After my brother died, I thought I'd never feel normal again."
Jaehyun was quiet for a while. "Me too. After my sister died."But here we are."
"Here we are"
Doyoung turned to look at him. The rain was making his hair damp and some stray drops of water were rolling down his eyelashes, framing his face. He looked even younger than usual.
"Thank you", said Doyoung.
"For what?"
"For making this feel like home. For not giving up on me."
Jaehyun's face softened, "I'm not giving up on you. I'm not giving up on any of us."
-Minho lost his balance and landed face first on a big puddle.
"MINHO!" yelled Doyoung, already running towards the garden but Jaehyun beat him to it.
"MINHO!" yelled Jaehyun, scooping the little boy in his arms
"I'm okay! I'm okay!" giggled Minho, "I fell! I fell in the water!"
"You're soaking wet", said Doyoung, "you're going to freeze!"
"I'm fine! I'm a dinosaur! Dinosaurs don't freeze!"
"Dinosaurs are extinct. There's a reason for that."
Minho laughed, "Samchon, you're funny"
"Your Samchon is worried", said Doyoung, running back to the house with Minho in his arms. "You're going to catch cold."
"No, I'm not. I have dinosaur powers."
"Your dinosaur powers are not medically recognized", said Jaehyun, appearing at the door with a towel in his hands. "I told you he'd get sick."
"He's not sick yet. He's just wet."
"Wet leads to sick. It's science."
"It's not science."
Jaehyun wrapped the towel around Minho, "You're impossible."
"Impossible is my brand."
-An hour later, the little menace was tucked in the couch with a blanket over his shoulders and a bowl of soup in his hands. Baby T-Rex was tucked under his arm.
"Can we watch a movie?" he asked. "A dinosaur movie?"
"There are no good dinosaur movies" said Jaehyun. "They're all scientifically inaccurate"
"Uncle Jaehyun, dinosaurs aren't real. We're watching a movie"
"Jurassic Park is scientifically inaccurate".
"Jurassic Park is fun. Fun is more important than science."
Doyoung laughed. "He's got you there"
"He does not-"
"He definitely does."
-The movie was called The Land Before Time and Minho watched it with his wide eyes full of wonder, asking questions every now and then.
"Why is the long neck sad?" he asked.
"Because he lost his family," said Doyoung gently, "but he found a new family. That's the story"
"That's like us", said Minho. "We lost our family. But we found a new one"
Doyoung's heart swelled with emotion, "Yes, Minho. Exactly like us"
Jaehyun looked at him, his mouth parted. He seemed to have something to say but he stopped himself, looking down at Minho with a strange expression on his face.
"You're going to cry", whispered Doyoung.
"I'm not going to cry."
"You're definitely going to cry."
"The movie is sad. That's why"
"The movie is a children's cartoon, Jaehyun. You're thirty two"
"And?"
"And you're crying at a children's cartoon"
"I'm not crying. There's something in my eye"
"It's called a tear, Jaehyun. It's normal."
Jaehyun wiped his eyes. "I hate this movie."
"No, you don't. You love it."
"Stop psychoanalyzing me"
"I'm not psychoanalyzing, I'm observing."
-It was still raining cats and dogs in the afternoon.
Yuta called Doyoung with an excited "I'M COMING TO VISIT NEXT WEEK!"
"My friend" said Doyoung, putting the phone at his ear. "He's intense"
"I look forward to meeting him" said Jaehyun
"Intense means obnoxious. Just a warning"
"I'm used to obnoxious. I live with Xiaojun and Chenle in the same town."
"True, you're prepared."
-Later that night, Doyoung and Jaehyun sat on the back porch watching the rain come down in sheets. Minho was asleep inside, curled up on the couch with the blanket over his chest.
"He's asleep," said Jaehyun.
"He's been asleep for two hours. I checked on him three times"
"Me too"
They shared a look with the expression of two overprotective fathers who knew they were ridiculous.
"We're going to be those parents," said Doyoung. "The ones who check on their kid five times a night."
"I think we already are those parents."
"Fair point."
The rain continued to pour down outside making the garden smell of fresh and clean earth.
"Doyoung," said Jaehyun.
"Yes?"
"I want tell you something."
Doyoung's heart skipped a beat. "Okay"
"I'm scared."
"Of what?"
"This. Us. Being a parent. Being your co-parent. Being... whatever we're becoming." Jaehyun exhaled shakily. "I've spent my entire life pushing people away and now I have a four year old who made me his king, and a co-parent who is practically my best friend and I don't know what to do, Doyoung"
Doyoung was quiet for a moment. "Neither do I"
"You seem so sure of everything."
"I'm not. I'm just good at faking it."
Jaehyun looked at him. "You're the strongest person I know."
"I'm not strong. I'm stubborn"
"Same thing."
"No it's not. Strength is being okay. Stubborn is pretending to be okay until you collapse"
Jaehyun took his hand. "Then don't pretend to be okay with me. Be weak with me."
Doyoung blinked at him. "What?"
"Be weak with me. Let me be weak with you. We don't have to pretend. We don't have to be strong all the time."
Doyoung's eyes were filling with tears. "I don't know how to do that."
"Neither do I. But we can learn." Jaehyun gripped his hand tighter. "Together."
Together. The word echoed in Doyoun's chest.
"Okay," he whispered. "Together."
-The next morning, Minho woke Doyoung up at 5:30 with a drawing in his hands.
"Look! I made us a picture!" Minho said. "It's our new family!"
Doyoung looked at the drawing and he saw three stick figures, two the same height and one small, holding hands under a rainbow.
"Why is there a rainbow?" he asked.
"Because the rain is over," said Minho. "And we're happy now."
"We are happy," said Doyoung.
"And this is me holding hands with you."
Doyoung looked at the drawing. The stick figure (Jaehyun) was holding the hands of the other figure (Doyoung) and the small (Minho) with a smile on his face.
Doyoung laughed. "You're talented, Minho-ya."
"I know. Haechan said so."
-Jaehyun was standing in the doorway. "What's happening?" He says while walking by.
"I need more coffee." said Jaehyun
"Always more coffee" said Doyoung. "You're practically a coffee monster."
"I'm a prosecutor. Coffee is essential to my job."
"You're not a prosecutor anymore. You're a stay at home uncle."
Jaehyun just rolled his eyes in response.
-Doyoung received a call from Kun in the morning.
"I heard you had a rainy day", said Kun. "How are you holding up?"
"Good, actually. We had a good day."
"That's great to hear. I was wondering if you wanted to work at the clinic. We're short staffed"
"I'd love to. Thank you."
"Great. And Doyoung-- I know we don't know each other well, but if you ever need to talk, I'm here."
Doyoung's heart swelled with gratitude. "Thank you"
"Of course. That's what community is for."
-In the afternoon, Doyoung and Jaehyun took Minho to the village playground.
It was a riotous mess of slides and swings and a climbing wall that looked like a spaceship. Minho ran ahead of them, shrieking with joy.
"Wait for us!" shouted Doyoung.
"No! I'm a dinosaur! Dinosaurs don't wait!"
"Dinosaurs are extinct!" said Doyoung
"That's not my problem!"
Jaehyun watched Minho climb the wall. "He's got energy."
"He's got more energy than I've ever had in my entire life," said Doyoung
"Same here."
They sat on a bench, watching Minho play. The sky was clear and the sun was warm, casting a ray of hope over the village.
"It's nice", said Doyoung
"It is"
"Can I tell you something?"
"Of course"
"I used to think I'd never be happy again. After my brother died, I thought--I thought I'd just exist. Going through the motions. Taking care of everyone else."
"But now?"
Doyoung looked at him. "Now I think I might be happy. Really happy."
Jaehyun's expression softened, "I'm happy too. And I haven't been happy in a long time."
"Since when?"
"Since my mother died." Jaehyun paused. "She and I had a complicated relationship. But after she died, I thought--I thought the world would be simpler. Easier. But it just got colder."
"And now?"
Jaehyun looked at Minho, then at Doyoung. "Now it's warmer. Because of you. Because of Minho."
Doyoung's heart pounded in his chest. "Jaehyun-"
"I'm scared to admit that," said Jaehyun, "because every time I let people in, they leave. My mother. My sister. They both left me."
"I'm not going anywhere"
"You don't know that."
"Yes, I do. I know." Doyoung took Jaehyun's hand. "I'm not going anywhere, Jaehyun. We're in this together."
Jaehyun squeezed his hand. "Together."
-That night, Doyoung laid in bed, thinking about the day. About the rain and the movie and the playground. About Jaehyun's hand in his.
Something was happening between them. Something magical that he didn't understand. He was falling for Jaehyun. Not the gentle swooping kind of love that he imagined in romance novels but rather like a trip. One day he was walking down the street and the next, he was tripping and flying down a slope. He couldn't control it. He fell.
He thought about the words they'd shared on the porch. Be weak with me. He'd never felt that way in his life. Never wanted to let people see the cracks in his heart. But Jaehyun had seen them. And he was still there.
Doyoung smiled, his heart swelling with a feeling he thought he'd never feel again.
'Wait- no I just might be imagining my feelings, yeah that's it.' Doyoung thought, 'silly me.'
-The next day, Doyoung woke up to the sight of a note on his nightstand. Jaehyun's writing was neat and precise.
**Good morning. I'm making breakfast. Don't argue with the toaster. -J**
Doyoung laughed, his heart melting.
He walked to the kitchen and found Jaehyun at the stove, frying eggs. Minho was sitting at the table, drawing another picture.
"Good morning," said Doyoung
"Morning" said Jaehyun, looking at him. "Did you sleep well?"
"Better than I have in weeks."
"Me too"
Minho looked up. "Can I have a dinosaur egg?"
"There's no such thing as dinosaur eggs" said Jaehyun. "They're extinct"
"Not extinct. They're just not available. Like unicorns"
"Unicorns don't exist."
"They do. They're just shy."
Doyoung laughed. "He's got a point. You don't know they don't exist."
-Later that day, the rain let up just enough for Jisung (the sweet high schooler everyone adores) to stop by the house with a bag of milk.
"Thank you, Jisung" said Doyoung.
"Also, Chenle wanted me to tell you the betting pool about the relationship between you and Jaehyun is at seventy thousand won. Xiaojun is still winning."
"Of course he is."
"He also wanted me to ask if you have any romantic plans for the weekend."
"Romantic plans?"
"Date night. Candlelit dinner. Dramatic confession in the rain. Something like that."
Doyoung turned to look at Jaehyun. "I-we don't---"
"That's what I thought." said Jisung. "I'll tell him to set a date with you and Jaehyun."
"Wha-"
Before he could respond Jisung left, satisfied with himself.
"I hate this town," muttered Doyoung.
-The next day, Renjun called about Minho's therapy.
"He's doing wonderfully," Renjun said. "He's drawn at least a dozen pictures of your family. He's finally starting to feel secure."
"That's great news"
"It is. But Doyoung-I want to check in on you. Caregiver burnout is real. How are you doing?"
Doyoung opened his moth to say 'fine' but the word didn't come out.
"I'm tired" he admitted. "But I'm okay. I'm getting there."
"Good. That's all we can ask for."
-That night, Johnny and Taeyong came over for dinner.
"This is cozy," said Johnny. "Domestic. I love it."
"You love anything that involves food," said Jaehyun.
"Food and Jaehyun's love life. Those are my favorite things."
Jaehyun scoffed.
"You're cooking dinner for other people. That's some real development right there, you didnt even bother cooking for me back in Seoul!!"
"I'm feeding my family. It's practical."
"Ah, the practical logic of a man in denial."
Doyoung laughed. "He's got you there."
"He does not--"
"He definitely does."
Taeyong sat down beside him. "How are you, Doyoung?"
"I'm good. Really. I didn't think I'd be good, but I am."
"That's all that matters." Taeyong smiled. "You're good for Jaehyun."
"I'm good for him?" asked Doyoung
"You make him try. That's more than any other person has ever done."
-After dinner, Johnny pulled Jaehyun aside in the hall.
"So," Johnny said to him. "Doyoung."
"What about him?" asked Jaehyun
"Are you going to do something about it?"
"About what?" asked Jaehyun
"Your feelings, you emotionally constipated idiot."
"I don't have feelings."
"You have feelings. Giant ones. Everyone in this town can see them"
Jaehyun looked thoughtful
"I don't know how to do this" he admitted. "I'm not good at feelings."
"Neither is he" said Johnny, nodding towards Doyoung. "But you're figuring it out together." He paused. "Just don't wait too long. Life is short."
-Later that night when the two left, Jaehyun decided to have a talk with Doyoung.
"Hey Doyoung, I think I'm starting to see things."
Doyoung's heartbeat stuttered in his throat. "What do you see?"
Jaehyun took his hand gently. "I see you. I see us. I see a family." He paused meaningfully. "I see someone I want to have a future with."
Doyoung's breath caught. "Jaehyun-"
"I know we haven't known each other for very long. I know this is sudden, but... it doesn't matter. I want to try. With you."
Doyoung's throat tightened. "I want to try too."
Jaehyun's gaze softened. "Together?"
Doyoung squeezed his hand. "Together."
***hi just to let you know, this scene isn't jaehyun asking doyoung to be his boyfriend***